A Change in Weather
by cisplatin
Summary: Yes, well… A rumor won't do it. Elphaba's too smart for that.
1. 0

**Disclaimer: This fanfic was created three years ago.  
****And Wicked, of course, is not mine. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this story.**

* * *

The Emerald City, also known as the Jewel of Oz, allures both locals and tourists with its glistening gold and emeralds. Sitting at the heart of the city is the Emerald Palace, where the Wonderful Wizard of Oz resides. Various buildings that serve as home to offices, libraries, museums, shopping centers, restaurants, and other business and entertainment facilities surround the palace. Parks and recreational areas fill up most of the rest of the city's land area.

Situated in the center of Oz, Emerald City owes its economic and cultural richness to its location. For years, it has served as center for exchange of goods between the four Ozian countries, Gilikin, Munchkin, Quadling and Vinkus. Along with their respective local produce, merchants from different countries bring along their own ideas and philosophies when venturing in international trades. Goods are exchanged, along with culture. Evident in the architecture of its edifices and infrastructure, communication systems and way of life of its residents, Emerald City has become the cultural melting pot of Oz.

Layers of snow lay delicately on roofs, treetops and pavements, adding to the Emerald City's charm. Ever since the snow started five years ago, people delighted in the city's all-year Lurlinemas feel.

Despite frequent snowfall, Ozians enjoy endless seasons of autumn and winter without freezing to death thanks to the energy source introduced by the Wizard. Not many people have seen it, but it is said to take the form of green lightweight crystals, hence the Wizard refers to it as beryllite. Aside from giving warmth to the snow-laden Oz, the mysterious substance also fuels industries and lights up homes all over Oz.

Oz, however, has not always been like that. Five years ago, people in Emerald City complained about their long hot summer days, which made them uncomfortable and easily exhausted. Ventilation systems and air conditioning units inside buildings used more power than in less warmer days to lower the temperature.

The Wizard seemed to have heard the people's pleas. Madame Morrible, the Wizard's vizier whose specialty in magic is manipulating the weather, summoned her powers to the sky for it to pour down snow. Even Munchkin and Quadling, the countries onto which snow had never fallen, experienced winter.

The change was least felt in Vinkus, which has been, more frequently than the other countries, under the rage of hails and blizzards. Gilikins, like the people of Emerald City, adored the weather. Children frolicked in the snow while the adventurous young people danced on frozen lakes and played snow sports. The adults satisfied themselves with sitting down with friends with their cups of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

The Wizard, Morrible and Glinda the Good stood at the top of the palace, overlooking the snow-covered city of emeralds. The Wizard smiled with satisfaction, seeing how happy his people have become over the years of his reign. Morrible stood boldly alongside the Wizard, proud of her work.

Everything looked perfect.

If she were in her current position five years ago, Glinda couldn't be any happier. But five years did not just pass by – things have happened and people have changed. She may not completely understand the grand scheme of things at the moment, but she didn't fail to notice how Oz seems to slowly succumb to the control of power-hungry figures disguised as beautiful blankets of snow.

Meanwhile in Munchkinland, farmers sighed as they look at the aftermath of a recent blizzard. Crops, farmlands and livestock were heavily damaged, costing the Munchkins much of their food and livelihood. The Quadlings' houses, which, under the weather conditions five years ago, were enough to shelter them, are not anymore enough to protect the people from the constant snowfall.


	2. 1, part 1

(Year -5)

Relief rushed into Galinda upon seeing Elphaba in Doctor Dillamond's laboratory because she had not seen her roommate since morning when they left their dorm room. Her green-skinned friend was clearing up her workspace, labeling some vials of extracts from a recently concluded experiment and humming a happy tune.

_That's odd._

"Elphie!" she called out, worry evident in her voice.

Elphaba looked at her friend and smiled. She gestured for her to come into the lab. "Hey Galinda. What brings you here?" she asked.

Her expression was different from what Galinda was expecting, especially after hearing the news about Goat professor's dismissal from the Shiz University faculty.

"I just wanted to make sure you're alright," the blonde answered.

"Oh, never better!" Elphaba answered effortlessly, while removing her gloves. She picked out a green envelop from her bag and handed it to Galinda. "Take a look at this."

Galinda's eyes widened. She frantically snatched the item from Elphaba and inspected the letter in it. Elphaba simply watched as her friend's eyes hovered over the piece of parchment.

"An invitation from His Ozness, himself?! Elphaba Thropp, you're really going to the Emerald City! I'm so proud of you!" Galinda enclosed her friend in a bear hug.

Elphaba did not anticipate the strength of her petite friend. "Gah… Galinda. Can't. Breathe."

"Oops. Sorry," Galinda said sheepishly. "I just can't help it, Elphie! I'm so excited for you!"

Still ecstatic because of the invitation, Elphaba simply let it pass. "All this time, I've felt so helpless, Galinda. Doctor Dillamond has been fighting his battles alone," she started. "But I might be able to help him now. Isn't it great?"

Giddy with excitement and high hopes for the future, the ladies giggled and hugged each other, both of them simply too happy to mind that Elphaba looked out of character.

Galinda clapped her hands as she formed plans in her mind. "Ooh! I know! This Friday, before you go, we should be out festivating!"

"What? No!"

* * *

Thanks to their other friends, Elphaba's protests were not enough to stop the celebration. At least, she was able to convince Galinda to tone down the party to dinner with a few friends on the eve of her departure.

"Fine," was all Elphaba could mutter as Galinda practically dragged her to their dinner table.

"Aww. Cheer up, Elphie!" Galinda consoled. "I promise you, this will be fun! Oh, look! Here's Nessa and Biq! Ugh. Fiyero's late! Where is he?"

"Miss Galinda!" Boq greeted her with a big smile. In response, Galinda put on a hesitant one. "And Elphaba. I've heard. Congratulotions!"

"Thanks, Boq," Elphaba replied civilly, while accepting Boq's handshake.

"This is wonderful, Elphaba. I'm so proud of you! I'm sure father will be, too," Nessa told her sister. "I told him in a letter yesterday. It won't be long before he knows."

The idea of telling the news to her father did not appeal that much to Elphaba. Nevertheless, she appreciated her sister's little deed.

The dinner turned out to be far better than Elphaba expected. Of course, Galinda's good taste for food and ambiance led them to dine in this exquisite restaurant. More importantly, the time was spent in bonding with friends. Besides, having Nessa and Boq, for a change, saved Elphaba from Galinda's endless litany about boys, celebrities and clothes.

_Galinda._

Elphaba smiled internally. She would have never considered having a circle of friends if not for her unlikely best friend. Despite their differences in interests and priorities, she was grateful that their paths have crossed.

Her thoughts were interrupted upon arrival of Fiyero, who looked handsome, as always. She just thought that he was a bit overdressed for the occasion, the reason for which she did not know.

"Fifi, dearest! You're late! Where have you been?" Galinda chirped.

Fiyero cringed at his new nickname. Elphaba failed to stop a soft chuckle, which caught the prince's attention. She covered her mouth in embarrassment but when she looked at him, she was only met by his lopsided but charming smile.

After finishing her entrée, Elphaba excused herself. Although she appreciated the time with friends, she felt a bit tired – she was still trying to get used to socializing with other people. A moment in the washroom and some air from outside might help, she thought.

The stars decorated the evening sky but they paled in comparison to the full moon. Elphaba, who went outside the restaurant, sat on the ground and enjoyed the marvelous display. As she watched the heavenly bodies glow, she tried to imagine her possible future – meeting with the Wizard, helping Oz, restoring the Animals…

"Elphie!"

She felt as if her heart jumped ten feet from the ground. "Ugh! Fiyero, don't scare me like that!" She placed a hand on her chest. "And don't call me Elphie!"

"Sorry," he replied, with a goofy grin. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she answered stubbornly.

He thought of insisting that he asked first, but decided against it. "Just needed some fresh air. It's kind of cramped in there."

"Oh." Realizing that they were alone again with each other, she shied away. "I- I should get back, then," she said as she turned towards the restaurant.

"Elphi-… Elphaba, wait!" Fiyero grabbed her hand, trying to stop her. They both felt as if they were back in the forest clearing with a Lion Cub to save. This time, however, Fiyero was unwilling to let his emotions overwhelm him. "I uh… I just want us to be friends. Elphaba, can you spare me a moment? Please?"

She certainly wanted her alone time, but his invitation made her feel pleasantly strange and thrilled. He felt her fist loosen as if she was allowing him to pull her back. "Alright," she finally answered. His heart fluttered in excitement. "So, how do we do this?"

Fiyero gulped. "Good question." Elphaba couldn't help but chuckle a little. "How about we start from where we left off?" he suggested. Without spoken words, they both thought again about their moment with the Lion Cub.

Elphaba nodded. She crossed her arms in thought and paced back and forth – she had never been good at small talk.

"Alright," she started tentatively. "Well, thanks to Galinda, we all now know what happened to me. How about you? You left off with the Lion Cub."

"He's good," he answered confidently. "I took a little detour around Brox so he can run back home to the Gilikin Forest. I buried the cage so no one can use it. Genius, huh?"

She smiled, knowing that, no matter how vain and shallow he appears to be, he was better than most people think. Her smile faded, however, as she realized something. "You what?"

"I buried the cage and set the Cub free in the jungle!" he answered confidently, but she looked unconvinced. "W- wait, did I do something wrong?"

Elphaba's palm flew to her face. "Lions live in savannas, Fiyero. Not in jungles."

It took a few tick-tocks before Fiyero understood her statement. "Oh…" was all he could say in his embarrassment. But Elphaba just laughed at his comical reaction. He laughed along.

They gradually became more comfortable with each other as their conversation progressed. Fiyero suddenly remembered why they were celebrating that night, so he said "Hey, Elphaba, congratulations! I know you're always top of the class and all but being summoned by the Wizard himself is like… wow. You're awesome!"

She laughed, amused at his manner of saying what he said. Nonetheless, she expressed her thanks.

That night, unlike their previous few interactions, he saw her smile and laugh several times. Truth be told, he was starting to like it.

"So…" Continuing the conversation, he asked, "What are you going to do once you meet the Wizard?"

For a few seconds, Elphaba thought of what to answer. "I don't really know where to start, Fiyero. There are a lot of things I wanted to tell the Wizard. I wanted to thank him personally for everything he has done for Oz. We couldn't be living as comfortably as now if it weren't for him." She paused. "But this thing about the Animals, I've got to tell him about the plague spreading among Animals that makes them lose their ability to speak. Thanks to Doctor Dillamond, we've designed a potent cure for their condition…"

Determination and passion was evident in her eyes as she spoke about Dillamond's studies, some of the results of her recent experiments and how these might help the Animals. He would just not yet admit out loud that he loved staring at her eyes. As he listened and looked at her, he remembered how those eyes captivated him while they were saving the Lion Cub. He wondered how those eyes could be so fierce and so thoughtful at the same time.

"…This is what I want to present to the Wizard. If there's anyone who can help the Animals, it must be the Wizard."

"Or Elphaba Thropp," he added, smirking.

His response caught her off guard. It made her feel nervous and a bit flattered, at the same time. "Well, I um… I would gladly offer my help. If His Ozness would need it, of course."

He smiled in awe and respect for her intelligence, vision and humility. "I'm sure Oz will need lots of it."

* * *

Elphaba could not believe what had just happened. The Wizard manipulated her to perform a spell that severely hurt his servant Monkeys. Madame Morrible, the first person who recognized her talent, was his accomplice. In an instant, her dreams shattered into pieces. Without anyone on her side, not even her best friend, she escaped from the Wizard's throne room.

…_I hope you're happy in the end_

_I hope you're happy, my friend…_

The whole palace was alerted of Elphaba, who was branded as intruder. While the guards rushed towards the attic, Galinda, by that time known as Glinda, waited restlessly outside the throne room. Earlier, some guards escorted her from the attic to safety. Neither she nor Elphaba had imagined any of this happening.

Waiting seemed like years. Although she and Elphaba have declared where their loyalties lie, none of that changed how she feels for her friend. She would not bear to see her get hurt or, worse…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the opening door, which revealed Morrible and the Wizard.

"Madame…!" Glinda rushed to her professor, wanting to ask questions she found hard to put into words.

"Why, Miss Glinda, dear. What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you to come here," Morrible said casually.

_Huh?_

"Ah! This must be the student you were talking about," the Wizard told his press secretary. He turned his attention to the young lady. "Hello there, young lady! Madame Morrible, here, has told me many things about you."

Glinda was stunned. _No mention of Elphaba. What's going on?_

"Since you're here, perhaps we could go for a little chat. Would you like to join us for some tea?" the Wizard offered.

She felt nauseous. _Why were they acting… strange?_ "Oh. Um. I- I'm sorry, your Ozness. Thank you, but I think I should go now." She bowed with all politeness she could gather and left.

Outside the throne room, the palace guards and servants were on their usual posts. Everything looked the way they did when she and Elphaba arrived. _Where had Elphaba gone? Why were the guards not looking for her anymore? Have they captured her?_ Glinda wandered a bit to look for her friend or for any clue for her whereabouts.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said, approaching one palace guard who not long ago granted them entrance to the throne room. "Have you seen my friend, Elphaba? She was with me when we met with his Ozness. She's this tall and green, almost like this." Using her hand, she showed an estimate her friend's height and pointed to a green accent on the wallpaper. "I'm sure she's pretty hard to miss."

The guard tried to be civil, suppressing his snort. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I don't think I've seen anyone green in my entire life."

Glinda tried asking other people in the palace, but to no avail. It was as if the green girl never passed by them not long ago. After a long day in the palace, she left Emerald City and went back to Shiz. She needed to rest and clear her thoughts.


	3. 1, part 2

"Glinda? Hello!" some female voices called out from outside Glinda's dorm room in a singsong manner.

The dormer opened the door to reveal Pfannee and ShenShen. "Oh. Hi, girls," she greeted not so enthusiastically.

"You're back!" ShenShen trilled while hugging Glinda. "C'mon, girl! You have to tell us about the Emerald City. You've been OzCouture, haven't you? Oh, and the palace, of course. It must be so swankified!"

"The palace! Oh my Oz! Girl, you're gonna be a public figure! What a bright future you have!" Pfannee added.

Glinda did not know how to respond to that. After her everything that happened, she remembered neither a swankified place nor a promise of a bright future. In the first place, she went there only to accompany Elphaba, who was actually the one summoned by the Wizard. It was more of a disaster, if she were to be asked. Nonetheless, she tried to smile.

"Ugh. Glinda, what are these?" Pfannee asked while inspecting some dark-colored articles of clothing in the closet on the other side of the room.

"Hey, don't touch that! That's…" Realization dawned on Glinda. At least she saw a sign that Elphaba was here not long ago. "That's Elphaba's!" she exclaimed, more to assure herself than to chastise Pfannee.

"Weird name. Who is that?" ShenShen asked casually. Pfannee shrugged.

After a little chitchat with the two girls, Glinda was left alone with her thoughts. _Why was everyone acting as if Elphaba never existed?_ She was associated with an assortment of degrading nicknames related to her green complexion but, being consistently at the top of her classes, virtually everyone in Shiz supposedly knew her name. Glinda felt like she was transported into another world. Was she dreaming? Was she imagining things? She needed to find someone who could tell her she wasn't.

One person came to mind. Without wasting time, she ran towards the room of Elphaba's sister, Nessarose.

"Hello Ga-… Glinda. It's so nice of you to come. How was your visit to the Emerald City?" Nessa, who was sitting on her wheelchair, greeted cordially as she welcomed the blonde girl to her room.

"It was… um… Nessa, please, I need your help. When I came back, I… your sister…"

"Glinda, please slow down. Here, sit down and have some water," Nessa offered.

Somehow, the chair and the water helped Glinda feel a little calmer.

"And, um," Nessa continued. "I don't have a sister. It's been just my father and I since my mother died. I would have loved to have an older sister, though."

Glinda almost coughed out her drink. _Even Nessa was acting strange._ "But Nessa, don't you remember? All this time, it was her who took care of you…"

"Oh, you mean Nanny? She's more like a mother than a sister to me, since she's a lot older," Nessa answered. "Um. What were you going to say about her?"

It was getting hard for Glinda to keep her tears from falling. Nessa, being the beloved younger sister, was the last person she thought who would forget about Elphaba. "Um… Nothing. I just… I thought I met her in the Emerald City," was the best answer Glinda could come up with. "Excuse me, but I must return to my room. Thanks, Nessa."

Instead of returning to her room, Glinda wandered around the campus grounds and eventually ended up standing on the bridge over Suicide Canal. "Elphie, where are you?" she whispered to the wind as tears freely flowed from her eyes.

At one end of the bridge, Fiyero was passing by. "Ga- Glinda?" he called out as he jogged towards her.

"Fiyero!" Glinda quickly wiped her tears while he was not yet close enough to see them. "Hello dearest," she greeted as cheerfully as she could.

"Nessa told me you've arrived. Are you okay? Sorry I didn't come to fetch you from the station. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

Glinda nodded in response, although she was not completely listening to what he said. Since everyone she has talked with so far seemed to think her strange for constantly mentioning a non-existent friend, she has unconsciously closed herself from other people.

Fiyero leaned onto the railing and paused to catch his breath. Nonchalantly, he asked "Hey, where's Elphaba?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Hearing that name from another person felt like music to her ears – she felt less lonely, knowing that her best friend was an actual person and not just a figment of her imagination. However, reality dawned on her – she still had no idea where Elphaba was or if she was still even alive. Mixed emotions made her burst into tears uncontrollably.

"I don't know!" she finally blurted out.

Fiyero gathered her in a comforting hug while silently drowned in his own thoughts.

* * *

"Are you sure you're all right now?" Fiyero asked Glinda later in the evening, before he left her in her dorm room.

"Better" was the best answer she could offer. "Thanks for the dinner, Fiyero."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Glinda, hey. Um… We'll figure this out, okay? G'night."

Glinda nodded, smiling slightly. She wanted to find out what really happened but she did not know how. Somehow, she wished she had Elphaba's brilliant mind. _She definitely would know what to do._

Tired of thinking and crying, she decided to put it all to sleep for now. She gathered her change of clothes and prepared to go to bed. As she removed her shoes, the simple, slightly tarnished silver chain around her ankle caught her attention. A memory from her Charms class played in her mind. It was one of her favorite classes because it was a Sorcery subject that was not taught by Morrible. She could even remember what the Charms professor told them at the start of that class.

"…_Mages and sorcerers pride themselves in their ability to cast powerful spells. But, as the old adage says, 'spells cast can never be reversed.' I'd say 'prevention is better than cure.' So, class, today we will create a different kind of charm… A dispel charm."_

It was a difficult lesson, and even more difficult to perform – only a few upper class Sorcery students and Elphaba were able to create the charm successfully in class. It took some outside-class practice and some help from Elphaba for Glinda to make one.

"_There! I told you, you could do it!" Elphaba told Galinda after the blonde's first successful attempt in creating a dispel charm. "Hey, what's wrong?" _

_Galinda stared discontentedly at her charmed bracelet. "It's not pretty anymore, Elphie! Look!" She pointed at some slightly discolored parts of the chain._

_Elphaba shrugged. "It works, anyway. Not bad."_

"_I was gonna give this to Fifi. But since it's ugly now, I'll just keep it." Galinda sighed and pouted in disappointment. "It wouldn't even match any of my clothes now that it has a different shade."_

_The green witch rolled her eyes and slightly chuckled at her friend's little antics. "If it would make you feel better, I could give you my charm. But you must promise to help me make another one," she offered, smiling._

_Glinda's eyes brightened. "Really? Oh, thank you Elphie! Fifi will love this!" She captured her best friend in a hug._

* * *

In the next day, Glinda woke up unusually early. She looked at the empty bed at the other side of the room and sighed. She somehow wished that the past few days were just a dream. Nonetheless, she got out of her bed and prepared for school.

Elemental Sorcery could have been Glinda's favorite subject if not for their teacher, Madame Morrible. She anxiously waited on her seat, wondering if Morrible will return to Shiz and continue teaching. The prospect of having a new teacher sounded quite appealing.

Later, a few more students entered the room, along with a lady who looked like a new student. As the students went to their seats, the lady stood behind the teacher's table in front of the class.

"Good morning, class. As you may have heard, Madame Morrible won't be in Shiz until Oz knows when. For now, I'll be your teacher in Elemental Sorcery," the new lady said, to everyone's surprise. "My name, by the way, is…" She scribbled her name elegantly on the board. "…Liliana Spiegel. No double L's, people. Don't forget."

A student raised his hand and asked, "Ma'am, what happened to Horrible Morri-"

He stopped and blushed in embarrassment upon realizing that he just used their codename for Morrible. Most of the other students snickered.

"Haven't you heard? Madame Horri-… Um… Morrible…" Gasps and chortles surrounded the class. "…has been assigned by the Wizard as his press secretary. If I were you, guys, I would be cautious. Madame Ho-… Uh… Morrible is a powerful sorceress. She may be in Emerald City, but she might have ways of watching you," she warned jokingly. The class, by that time more comfortable with the new teacher, laughed. Even the depressed Glinda could not help but laugh along.

Glinda suddenly thought of her former professor. Indeed, Morrible was known by everyone in Shiz as a powerful sorceress. She could even read a few spells in the Grimmerie. No wonder the Wizard gives her high regard, choosing her as one of his trusted officials. Perhaps Elphaba should have been like that.

Her heart thumped hard as she thought of something. _Did Morrible have anything to do with Elphaba's disappearance?_ She had heard of spells that can alter memory. Equipped with magical prowess and the Grimmerie, Morrible might be able to do such thing. Of course, if Elphaba would not cooperate with her, she could be considered as threat…

"Upland? Miss Galinda Upland, are you there?" Professor Spiegel asked when she checked the class attendance.

Glinda, deep in thought, was suddenly taken out of her reverie. "Yes, ma'am!" she quickly answered and raised her hand. "And… um… it's Glinda now."

"It's Glinda Upland, then? Got it," the teacher replied as she corrected the name on her record notebook. "Um… Are you okay, dear? You seem pale. I could ask one of your classmates to accompany you to the infirmary."

"No, no, it's okay, Madame. In fact, I'm feeling fresh and chipper!" the student replied a bit too hastily and too cheerfully than intended.

Once her classes for the day ended, she went back to her room to rummage her former roommate's things for any clue. Among Elphaba's pile of books and notebooks was the notebook she used for recording experimental results from her work under Doctor Dillamond. Flipping over the pages, she found figures and tables she could not understand at first glance. At the back of the notebook, she found some notes about natural lozenges, a list of plants and symbols and drawings of some chemical compounds. There were loose pieces of paper containing lists – of chemicals, budget items, spells and incantations, equipment, etc. – inserted between the pages of the notebook.

Glinda's head eventually gave up. It was only then when she felt the gravity of all the thinking, recalling and reading she did in the past few days. "Ugh. Elphie, it's so hard to be you," she thought while massaging her temples. She wanted to cry again, but her eyes already felt too swollen – nothing would come out of them, anyway. Finally, she just inhaled deeply and then released her breath, along with the thoughts and emotions that cloud her judgment. "Please wait for me. I'll find you."


	4. 2

(Year 0)

After five minutes of pacing and gathering confidence, Glinda slowly opened the door to the office of the Wizard's vizier. With a piece of parchment in hand, she marched into the room.

"Good morning, Madame Morrible," greeted the young lady.

"Ah! Good timing, Glinda dear. I was looking for you," the vizier replied. "The Annual Convention on Sorcery and Magic will commencify in three days. Preparifications must be in order."

"Y- You're coming, too, Madame?"

"Of course. That is why I need you to finish these for me." Morrible dropped a pile of papers onto Glinda's dainty hands. "One of the speakers will not be able to come, so they gave me a slot for a presentation. Ugh! The nerve of those neophyte conference staff! How dare them make me, the Grand Vizier, a replacement!"

"I've heard Doctor Daniel Penrose is also one of the plenary speakers, Madame," the young lady said, slightly diverting the conversation to lighten her senior's mood. "He rarely shows up in public festivations but I've attended his seminar. I've actually read some of his published works, too. He's very reputable."

The old sorceress snorted. "The leader of that little clan of magical craftsmen, huh?"

Excitement was evident in the young lady's eyes. "Yes, Madame! He's exactly the reason I'm attending…" She covered her mouth upon realizing what she just said. "Want to attend the…" she corrected.

"The convention is week-long," Morrible interrupted. "The Wizard needs these reports soon, but they will not write themselves, won't they?"

Glinda tried to hide her dismay from the turn of the conversation. "Of course."

"Oh. And this one, too," Morrible said as she added some more papers on the already tall pile, almost making Glinda flinch from its weight. "Place them here on my desk once you've finished them. The Wizard needs them by Tuesday. I still have a presentation to finish."

"There's not enough time, then. Tuesday is well within the dates of the conference. This must be finished by…"

"Oh, no dearie. I don't have to finish all of this because the Wizard and I are lucky enough to have you here."

"B- but…"

"Ugh. I haven't got much time. I'm taking a leave so I can prepare my piece." Morrible swiftly gathered some papers, her scarf and her bag and walked towards the door. "I shall see you after the conference, then."

Glinda sighed as she struggled to pick up the only piece of paper she had before she entered the room. It contained a letter, which supposed to save a seat for her in the sorcery conference.

"Oh um…" Morrible, her head popping into the door of her office, returned suddenly. Glinda almost jumped in surprise. "Just think of the people who would kill to have a chance of working with the Grand Vizier." She smiled conceitedly. "And the Wizard of Oz, of course."

Determined to catch the sorcery convention, Glinda the Good skipped a few meals and some hours of sleep to finish the reports. She may be the same perky blonde she had been known as in college, but she has also grown some sense of responsibility through the years. While she had dreams and goals of her own, she made sure kept up with Oz's expectations.

She barely made it to the first day of the convention. Luckily, she was just in time to be fashionably late for the fellowship dinner in the evening. Like the college student Galinda, she graced through the crowd, blending in while standing out at the same time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us all welcome Lady Glinda, the Good!" announced the master of the evening ceremony. The audience clapped their hands as Glinda waved at them. "May we have a few words?"

Truth be told, Glinda was taken aback; she was standing in the midst of professors and sorcery professionals, after all. While Ozians consider her very magical – mainly because of her signature giant bubble – she did not really consider herself as a practicing sorcerer like Morrible or most of the people in the room. She tentatively looked around. _Where is Madame Morrible, anyway?_

Did that stop her? Of course not.

"Fellow sorcerers and masters of magic," Glinda started. "It has been a wonderful and prosperific year for us." She continued her speech by mentioning some notable discoveries, inventions and achievements made by sorcerers in the past year.

Some critics among the audience quickly observed how she had been remarkably updated in the field of sorcery despite her lack of practice. "Wow. She must have been reading a lot," they whispered among themselves.

"But now," Glinda continued. "Let us put aside our deadlines and busy schedules." The audience laughed. "And celebrate!"

Everyone followed suit as Glinda raised her glass.

Of course, Glinda had anticipated the sorcery convention mainly for the lectures and updates on the current research trends in the field. That night, however, being true to her word in her little impromptu speech, she thought about nothing but the party. She effortlessly mingled among the people, especially with the young sorcery students. Being able to talk at par with some professors, she surprised herself with some stock knowledge she didn't know she had.

* * *

"You've picked her well, dear," the Wizard told Morrible as he scanned through one of the reports Glinda wrote for the old sorcerer. "See how efficiently she works? It seems that she can finish our week's worth of work in a day. And they aren't badly written. Here, take a look."

Morrible pulled out a set from the stack of papers on the Wizard's desk. "Take a look at this one. I told her to list down the names according to…"

"Oh, be nice to her will you?" the Wizard interjected. "She has worked hard. Give her the credit. Besides, this was supposed to be your job, wasn't it?"

"Says the one who hardly does any real work," Morrible muttered.

The Wizard lifted his eyes from the paper he was reading. "What did you say?"

The old sorcerer huffed. "What I'm saying is hard work is nothing if you it doesn't give the right results. Try teaching that brat and see how slowly she feeds on people's patience."

* * *

Fiyero did not fail to notice the unusually thick makeup or powder under Glinda's eyes. _What's it called? Concealer?_ He restrained himself from commenting about it and settled with a simple "You look tired."

Glinda stopped midway as she stuffed her things into her purse and looked at Fiyero incredulously. "Me? Tired? Of course not! I'm…" She yawned. "A firecracker!" Another yawn.

"We could cancel the dinner and set it on another date. You really look like you could use some sleep."

"B- but…" Yawn. "We haven't seen each other in ages!"

"We get to see each other everyday, Glin. We work in the same place."

"The same building. But you're always in official travels. And we never get to talk to each other. Fifi, don't you miss me?"

"Of course I do." He sighed. "You truly are a firecracker. You've managed to make it to the convention. Dream come true, huh?"

"Uh-huh!" Glinda stood up and smiled smugly.

"In exchange for your five days' worth of sleep?"

"I had to, Fifi! I didn't get the chance to present my paper after graduation like everybody who graduates from the Sorcery program does! I tried but…"

The lack of sleep was really taking its toll on the young lady. Noticing that tears are about to fall, Fiyero gathered her in his arms to comfort her.

"Shh. You did well. Who knows? Maybe you'll get another invitation next year."

Tears have fallen down her cheeks but she smiled upon hearing his soothing words. She wiped her tears away.

"Glin," Fiyero continued as he tried to give more soothing words. "I know we've been searching for her and we haven't gotten close. But we don't need another Elphaba, okay? Don't work yourself too much. It might destroy your health."

"Oh Elphie!" Fresh tears once again began their descent. Glinda buried her face onto his chest as she let herself cry at the thought of her lost best friend.

Fiyero wanted to punch himself. _I really have talent in making girls cry, huh?_


	5. 3

She wakes up early in the morning, taking hours to choose the best outfit, make-up and hairdo for the day. Once dressed up, she proceeds to the conference room to wait for the Wizard's officials' meeting. Diligently, she takes note of everything discussed as the meeting proceeds. She keeps her lunch break short so she would have more time for sorting out her notes, writing reports, writing speeches and retouching her hair and make-up. From time to time, she attends to press conferences and other public appearances to represent the Wizard. She reserves the evening for courtesy calls and social gatherings. All of those things she does with a smile on her face. That is how it has always been for Glinda the Good.

Being constantly under scrutiny of public eyes when she was at work, Glinda spent much of her free time alone. This time, however, she decided to spend it with a few old college friends. For a change, she chose to walk the snow-carpeted emerald streets, instead of asking a chauffeur to drop her to the coffee shop a few blocks away from her apartment.

Pfannee's eyes widened in excitement. "Shen, look! She's here!"

"It really is her!" ShenShen exclaimed upon seeing Glinda enter the café. "Glinda, over here!" The two girls waved their hands to catch Glinda's attention.

"Shen! Pfannee!" Glinda exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. "Oh, you all look so prettiful! How are you?" The old friends exchanged kisses on their cheeks.

"Oh Glinda, girl, look at you. You look absolutely gorgeified!" ShenShen said. Pfannee elbowed her. "Oww! I mean… er-ehem… Why, your Goodness, you look lovely today."

Glinda only laughed. "Oh, stop it, you two! Come here and give me a hug!" The three giggled as they enclosed each other in a group hug.

After finishing college, Glinda accepted the invitation to Emerald City, where she became an apprentice to Madame Morrible. One year later, she took the position of Morrible, who was promoted as the Wizard's vizier.

Time passed quickly – it has been three years since they graduated from Shiz. Things have changed, places have been visited, new friends have been met, waistlines have increased, hearts have been broken, tears have been shed, and jokes have been laughed at. As she talked with her friends in the café, Glinda cannot believe how much she had missed.

"…So, first thing in the morning, we went to the rooftop and he showed me a beautiful view of the sunrise. Then he knelt down on one knee and showed me the most beautiful diamond ring. He proposed. I said yes!" ShenShen narrated.

Glinda and Pfannee gasped.

"Oh, you! We've been together since yesterday and you didn't tell me?!" Pfannee asked incredulously. "That was so romantific!"

"I feared you would spoil the fun for Glinda, so I saved it for this meeting." ShenShen replied. They giggled. "Besides, it would be unfair if one of you knew first. Right, Glin?"

"Love you, Shen!" Glinda replied. They giggled again. "So when's the wedding?"

"We haven't decided on the date yet, but I suggest you guys save the whole Lurlinemas week. Now, you two mark your calendars. Don't you dare miss it!" ShenShen answered. Almost automatically, Glinda retrieved the planner from her bag to check her schedule.

"And one more thing," ShenShen continued, winking at Pfannee. "Glinda, since you and Fiyero had been ever so uncooperative, Pfannee and I have decided to hold our little picnic in the Vinkus this weekend. I asked Fiyero. He said he would come, so no is not an option." ShenShen smiled, proud of her little plan.

Glinda flipped through the pages of her planner. "Wait, I have reports due on Monday. I also have to write a speech for next week's convention. I need the weekend to work on them."

"Get a life, girl!" Pfannee intercepted, snatching Glinda's planner. "You've been working for at least two years and barely took a break. When was the last time you did something that made you happy?"

Glinda laughed, but she was uncertain if she really did have an answer for that question. "I am happy!" she said, but more to herself.

"Oh, you don't know that!" Pfannee rebutted. "You always workifying yourself. We miss the old Glinda already!"

"Besides, they say Vinkus is a beautiful place, if not for the freezifying weather," ShenShen added. "It's a once-a-year opportunity. We should go there while it's still warm! Our next chance will be next year, but I'll be married by then. Do this for me, Glin, please?"

Glinda considered it for a while.

"I'll try" was the best Glinda could promise.

"Aww. C'mon, Glinda. I know you can do better than that! Anyway, we should go now. Shen and I have a reservation at the spa." They all stood up from their seats and, once again, exchanged hugs and kisses. "Oooh! It was so nice seeing you again!"

"It was nice seeing you, too, girls! I wish we had more time together," Glinda replied.

"Oh, silly! It's not like we're not gonna see each other again this weekend, right?" Pfannee told Glinda pointedly.

Glinda simply smiled. "I'll do my best."

They say that, in these modern times, people have been living for their work instead of working for a living. This must have been true for Glinda. Long ago, _Galinda_ was the life of the party, always taking the initiative to gather her friends for dinner, shopping or group studies that eventually become sleepovers. She would make sure to give way for celebrations, may it be for end of finals week, for not failing a subject or even for simply getting out of the semester alive. In the past recent years, however, Glinda had been following schedules instead of making her own.

As she walked back to her apartment, Glinda pondered on Pfannee's question and realized how monotonous her life had become. What good has her being press secretary brought to Oz or even Emerald City? Has she made Oz a better place to live? What did becoming press secretary have to do with finding Elphie, anyway? Well, she had access to information and close contact with the Wizard in her position. But after more than two years in the Wizard's palace, she never felt even close to solving that mystery. Perhaps she was looking for clues in the wrong place…

She temporarily shook off those thoughts and finally decided that she was going on a vacation with her friends in Vinkus this weekend. But first, she had paperwork to finish.

* * *

"My dear, you've finished all of this so quickly. Thank you very much," the Wizard, a few days later, said in appreciation for Glinda's early submission of her reports. "But you don't look so good. Have you slept well?" he added, noticing the slightly dark circles around her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry about me, your Ozness! Just doing my job," she replied cheerfully. "Um. Actually, I was going to tell you that I plan to take a leave this weekend… if it's all right with you." She slightly pouted like a little girl, confident with the fact that the Wizard usually treats her like his own daughter. Somehow, she felt guilty for using this to her advantage. After all, without evidence proving him innocent, she still considers him a suspect in Elphaba's disappearance.

The Wizard chuckled. "Of course, dear. Of course," he answered easily.

"Thank you, Sir!" she curtsied, smiled sweetly and turned to leave the office.

On her way out, she met Madame Morrible. The two bowed to each other civilly before moving on.

"Ah, I like that girl. She's very sweet," the Wizard commented. "At her age, she could have been my daughter."

Morrible did not particularly care, so she just plastered a smile on her face. "A bit of an airhead sometimes, if you ask me. I would readily choose someone else over her," she replied, muttering the last sentence mostly to her self. "But she's perfect for her job. Truly an asset to your wizardship."

He nodded in response. "Indeed."

She sighed. "But if you really want to control Oz, you need more power. No matter how feeble-minded Ozians are, they are actually hard to please. They always want spectacle. We can't do anything below their expectations, Oscar. If we don't show them power, they will just ignore us," She explained further.

"_Control_ is such a harsh word, but… well, you're right about that," he replied. "We have Glinda. People seem to like her a lot. Just take a look at their faces whenever she descends in their midst using her giant bubble!"

"Of course, she has been a great help. But we must take caution. We're almost done putting the Animals aside. It won't be long before we lose the people's attention. We have to keep making them think they need us…" She held her chin with her fingers, in thought. "If only we can really get that Winkie on our side…"

"Winkie? You mean Fiyero Tiggular?"

"Ugh. Clearly, you don't know anything." She grabbed a map of Oz and spread it across the table. "The Winkie Country may be part of Oz, but you haven't grasped them with your power as much as you have with Gilikins, Munchkins and Quadlings. Add to that that blasted father of our Winkie royal guard. Oh, you have no idea how those fools have become more and more stubborn over the years!"

The Wizard shrugged. "Fiyero doesn't seem so bad." From a folder of files containing information about the palace guards, he pulled out and inspected Fiyero's sheet. "Actually, I'm thinking of giving him a promotion soon."

"Conveniently, he and our dear Glinda seem to be very close. Fiyero Tiggular, the brave royal guard and hero of Oz, and Glinda, the Good. Imagine what perfect couple they could be. Oh, Ozians love things of that sort! So, what do you think?" Morrible watched Oscar, who seemed deep in thought.

After a few tick-tocks, his eyes brightened. "Ah! Now I get it! So this Winkie Country is the same as the Vinkus!"

"Oh my Oz." Morrible rolled her eyes as her palm flew to her face.


	6. 4

After a long day of work, Fiyero obtained his horse from the Emerald Palace stable and went home. While he was preoccupied with his thoughts, his walk towards the Tiggulars' house in Emerald City was mostly silent.

His parents were not fully in favor with Fiyero's decision to work in Emerald City, especially in Emerald Palace. Although the Vinkus, through the leadership of its king and queen, abided by the Ozian laws, they did not necessarily agree with how the Wizard runs Oz. Eventually, upon Fiyero's insistence that he will use what he will learn from working in the Emerald Palace in governing his own country someday, the king and queen let their son go on the condition that he will live in the Tiggulars' family house in the city.

Bringing his horse along, Fiyero went into the snow-covered garden outside the house. There, he plopped himself tiredly onto a bench.

"Those fiends! They say they're for equal rights and now they do this?" he said to no one in particular, while massaging his forehead. "Just look at what they did in that trial. It was like everything was scripted. All evidence pointed away from those Bulls, but they pressed the charges against them, nonetheless. It was sickening! Why do they think of Animals as lower forms? Long ago, it wasn't like this at all!"

"Oh, you don't know that. Anyway, your father warned you about those things in the Emerald City but you didn't listen," the horse, which was actually a Horse, replied nonchalantly. Fiyero huffed. "Besides, you can't say that for sure. You were neither in the crime scene to witness the crime nor in the courtroom to see the whole session."

"Ugh. Stop it, Helios. You don't have to repeat to me what father said!" Fiyero replied to the Horse defensively. After a long pause, the prince's expression softened. "I just didn't do as he said. I had to. I promised… I promised Glinda I that I'll find _her_…"

Helios snorted. He knew better.

It took Fiyero a few tick-tocks to pick up the Horse's reaction. "What? Elphaba's my friend, too!"

"Yeah, yeah," the Horse dismissed. "For you to sacrifice your once comfortable lifestyle, this friend of yours must be really special."

"We've shared just a few moments but she already knew me more than anyone else, so, yeah, you could say that." The prince sighed. "I just wanted some closure… To know what really happened to her… If she's still alive or…" He stopped, not wanting to imagine the other possibility.

Fortunately, Helios seemed to have read him. "So… what does signing up into the Wizard's Gale Force have to do with that?" he asked.

"Connections. Access to information," the prince answered. "According to Glinda, she was last found in the palace to meet with the Wizard. I can't help but think that he has something to do with her disappearance. And then there's Horrible Morrible beside him." Fiyero stood up and started to pace back and forth. "I became a palace guard so I could rummage the palace for clues. So far, I have mapped out the palace and the other major infrastructures made by the Wizard. I also got hold of copies of some important-looking documents. I haven't found the book Glinda was talking about, though. It was called… Grimberry? Cranberry? I can't remember what exactly…"

The Horse's eyes widened, especially when he heard about stealing documents. "And now you've turned yourself into a thief? My dear prince, no matter how stubborn your father is to the imposing rules of the Wizard, he abides by the law. What have you been doing with your life? Just consider what your parents will tell you when they learn about this!"

"Relax. I got my own copies. I returned the original files in their respective places," the prince defended. "I know I can't ruin my family's honor. Besides, somehow, it was Elphaba who taught me to care for my family and for other people… even for Animals and animals. I try my best to protect them." He stopped in his tracks. "I'll settle this. Just give me three more years. After everything, I'll return to Vinkus, apologize and do whatever father or mother says."

"Wow. Six years worth of apologies, huh? I hope our highnesses can cope with that," Helios chastised good-naturedly.

Fiyero chuckled. "I'll do my best. Hey, why are you suddenly quizzing me? Huh?" he asked, playfully hitting the Horse with his elbow.

Helios looked at his master seriously. "With that risky business of yours, there must be someone to make sure you're being coherent in your decisions."

Curiosity was written on Fiyero's face. "Do you think I'm being coherent?"

"Nope. Actually, I think you're crazy."

"I knew it," the prince replied dejectedly. "Look. If you think this is crazy, I can bring you back to Vinkus. At least you won't have to act like an animal there. It will be more comfortable for you."

"Nah. I shall stay by your side. You're my master." Helios nudged Fiyero gently with his nose. "Besides, I'm like my master. I like crazy."

"Yes, you do." Fiyero brushed the Horse's mane with his hand. "Thank you, my friend."

* * *

In his private study, Fiyero stared at the map that was laid across his table. It was a copy of the map of Oz he got from one of the Wizard's official architects. On this map, there were special markings on particular points on each of the four countries of Oz. These, he figured, were the Gilikin Trade Center, the Vegetable Depot in Munchkin Country, the Power Plant in Quadling Country and the proposed mining site in the Greater Kells of Vinkus. So far, he had been to the first two landmarks. The Power Plant was said to be too dangerous, so entry to that structure was granted only to a few authorized people. The mining site never materialized due to the strong opposition of both officials and common people of Vinkus.

He remembered that day when representatives of the Wizard came to Kiamo Ko to negotiate for the setting up of the mining site. They were almost unable to reach the castle because of the huge number of Vinkuns barricading the castle gates. Just in time for preventing the situation to be out of control, the king and queen of Vinkus walked towards the castle gate and interceded.

_The queen's secretary found out from her records that the appointment was not prescheduled. With that, the king announced his decision, trying his best to restrain any hints of harshness in his voice._

"_You have no business here," he started. "My people and I need not gather in a meeting or hold an election. We choose to protect our land. We choose to refuse the Wizard's offer. Our decision is final and non-negotiable."_

_With that, the Wizard's representatives had no choice but to leave._

_Twelve-year-old Fiyero watched the whole encounter from inside the castle in awe._

Years later, the Wizard's viziers persisted in attempting to build other structures in Vinkus including a trade center, a marketplace, and an obelisk – all of which were disapproved by the Vinkun government because they see those structures more as luxury or harm to local small-scale businesses. The most recent proposal was about building a bridge over the Vinkus River to provide easy access for travellers from Emerald City. The proposal was considered but was eventually rejected because the waste that will be generated in the construction of the bridge will pollute the country's main water source.

At first, Fiyero did not understand why his father strongly refused those proposals from the Emerald City. Through those infrastructures, Vinkus could have developed better relations with the capital of Oz, leading to more trading opportunities and more economic and political gain. Now that he worked for the Wizard, he knew better. Seeing firsthand the deliberate oppression against the Animals or people who get in the way, he learned that the Wizard's reign was not as squeaky clean as people think.

After more minutes of studying the documents on his table, he stretched out his arms and legs and let out a loud yawn. His eyes randomly set on his wall calendar, from which he realized that he had to pack his things for his and his friends' weekend excursion to Vinkus.

Suddenly, he realized how his head hurt. He had been thinking about things he was not required to care about for the past five years. He got used to it but, somehow, he felt that it might be nice to have someone to talk about those things he had been thinking of.

A certain person came to mind. Not that she was never there.

For now, he needed some rest. He grabbed some clothes and packed them into his travel bag. Dealing everyday with the Wizard or his power-hungry minions was just too much for someone who was once just dancing through life. He needed a break.

He also needed some sleep.

But even in slumber, rest remained elusive to his worn-out mind. The green girl would appear in his dreams only to remind him when he wakes up that she was nowhere near.


	7. 5

Weekend came. Glinda felt young and jovial wearing a casual pink dress. She had to wear formal almost everyday because of her work so she felt nice wearing such clothes for a change. She hummed a happy tune while preparing her luggage for her and her friends' trip to Vinkus.

Later, Glinda heard a knock at her door. She knew who it was, so she eagerly skipped towards the door to greet her visitors.

"Good morning, Fiyero!" she chirped happily.

"Morning, Glinda," he replied. "Ready?"

She nodded happily, gathering her winter coat. Fiyero grabbed her bags and loaded them into the carriage.

"Good morning, cupcake! I'm so glad you're finally coming with us!" ShenShen greeted Glinda with a hug, and then she held her at arm's length. "Your dress is so prettiful!"

"I know, right?" Glinda twirled like a ballerina, showing off her clothes to her friends. She simply had to do that before putting on her coat. "Ooh! Wait 'til I show you the dress I brought yesterday."

Unlike ShenShen, Pfannee did not seem to be too happy when she saw Glinda. "Eek! No! Glinda, we're wearing the same hat!"

Glinda looked at Pfannee's hat and gasped.

"Pfannee, you idiot! How dare you copy Glinda's outfit? Get rid of that thing!" ShenShen told the other girl, removing the hat.

"Hey!" Pfannee protested.

"Girls, wait!" Glinda tried to calm her girl friends. "I know! Let's just buy another one of this hat for ShenShen. That way, we'll have matching hats!"

Hearing that from Glinda the Good, herself, the other two girls' eyes brightened.

"Ooh, you're so smart Glinda!" The three girls giggled.

Fiyero watched the interaction between the girls in amusement. They were all too giggly and giddy to his liking, but he was glad to see the perky Glinda again. He barely saw her like that in the past three years. She looked happy whenever she appears in public, but he suspected that her expressions then were not so genuine.

The girls and Fiyero entered the carriage, along with ShenShen's fiancé and Pfannee's boyfriend. It was going to be a triple date.

Their carriage was driven north, towards the port of Gilikin River. Along the way, they passed by the town of Shiz, which brought back college memories. At the sight of Shiz University, Glinda gulped, trying to keep herself together as memories of a long lost friend came to her. She did well, after five years of practice.

From the port in Gilikin, they rode the ferry towards the port in Vinkus. Their journey almost took the whole day but they barely noticed. ShenShen did most of the talking among the group. It seemed that she could never stop talking about the plans for her engagement party and wedding. Her fiancé was not as talkative, but he was equally as enthusiastic. Glinda, Pfannee and Pfannee's boyfriend eagerly obliged to the conversation.

Sitting beside Glinda was Fiyero, who mostly slept during the ferry. He did not have much sleep last night.

While the rest of the group was laughing about something, Fiyero let out a half-awake groan.

"No, Fiyero. We weren't talking about Glinda calling you 'Fifi' when we were in college," Pfannee told him. The others laughed out loud.

Another groan and then Fiyero fell back to sleep.

"Oh, you guys. Please don't mind him. Let him wake up later with regret missing this conversification," Glinda said, winking. The others snickered.

They stayed in a villa near the Vinkus River. In the afternoon, they had a picnic near the river amidst the snow-covered shore. They satisfied themselves with some food, drinks, stories and a beautiful view of the sunset over the snowy mountains of Great Kells.

* * *

They called their second day in Vinkus off as free day. Knowing that they do not have a particular schedule until dinnertime, Fiyero got off his bed late in the morning.

In the dining room, he saw Glinda, who was about to have breakfast.

"Morning," he greeted.

"Morning, dearest!" she replied. "They left early. Shen's uncle and cousins are in Vinkus, too. They're paying a visit. You wanna come?"

While getting food, Fiyero thought of it for a while. "I'd love to, but I promised mother a visit around Kiamo Ko and the castle while we're here," he answered.

"Oh" was all she could say.

The two ate breakfast silently.

As far as they know, Glinda and Fiyero were the only people who remembered Elphaba. Glinda was ever thankful for Fiyero because after her best friend's disappearance, he was the only person she could run to for comfort. Aside from their similar personalities, it was their common grief that bound them together in their old days in Shiz.

Glinda felt ecstatic when she heard that Fiyero was going to work in Emerald City – in the palace, even. She looked forward to seeing him there everyday. Unlike in Shiz, however, their time was not their own. Glinda's was of the Ozian people and of the hopes and dreams she and her best friend shared. But, to do that, she also had to work under the Wizard and train under Morrible.

She figured that it must have been similar for Fiyero.

They spent some time together from time to time, but they could not anymore afford the luxuries of time and money like they did while they were in college. _Is this what growing old feels like?_

ShenShen is engaged and will be married before the year ends. Pfannee will definitely follow soon. Although the two girls adore Glinda so much, they had no idea how much she envies them.

The silence was too loud to Fiyero's ears so he decided to break it.

"You wanna come along to the castle?" he offered.

Her heart thumped in excitement from the prospect of having some quality time with Fiyero. "Ooh! I would love to!"

For almost fifteen minutes, Glnda stared at her closet, undecided which outfit to wear to her and Fiyero's date.

_Is it right to call it a date?_

She shook her head and tried to focus in her current dilemma. Should she wear formal? After all, it will be the first time she will meet his parents in person. But before going to Kiamo Ko, she and Fiyero will walk around the town. Perhaps she should just wear something comfortable.

_His parents._ She blushed at the thought of Fiyero introducing her to them.

Finally, she settled with a safe choice of yellow dress that was both comfortable to wear and presentable enough for a meeting with dignitaries.

She went out of her room to be met by Fiyero, who looked dashing even in simple casual clothes. It was as if she saw him again for the first time, like when they first met in Shiz.

"Let's go?" Fiyero asked, offering an arm to Glinda. She gladly accepted it.

The two walked along the streets of Kiamo Ko, treading over a few snow-laden dirt roads and cobblestone pathways. It was a progressive town with less glamour than that of Emerald City or Glinda's home country, Gilikin. The Emerald City's jewels and golden linings were replaced by wildflowers and intricately woven Vinkun tapestries. There were only a few carriages; people there seemed to prefer walking, which, with the town's unique charm, she understood. The ensemble made by gushing of water from the fountain, laughter from children playing and instruments played by street performers served as background music. In a long time, it was her first time to see something so provincial.

Having the typical appearance of a Gilikinese, Glinda certainly attracted some attention from the townspeople. It seemed that the people wanted to approach her, but they also seemed too shy to do so. To bridge the gap, Glinda smiled at the passersby and waved at them occasionally. In no time, she was already talking and playing with some Vinkun children.

Fiyero watched her as she mingled with his people. Her genuine friendly smile was a very lovely sight, unlike the kind of smile she plasters on her face when she works as the Wizard's press secretary; he thought that the latter is more heartbreaking than lovely, knowing that it was mostly false.

"Your place is lovely, Fiyero," Glinda commented as they continued their walk. "People in the city aren't as friendly as the people here."

Fiyero smiled, proud of the land where he was born and raised. Without really thinking, he said, "This is the kingdom I will someday preside over. Together with my queen." He turned his head towards Glinda. Their eyes locked.

There was a message, she was certain of it. But she was never the best in interpreting subtle messages. She could name a few instances of miscommunication between her and Fiyero. She and her friends would laugh whenever they recall those moments.

This time, even Fiyero was unsure of what he really wanted to imply. Who was he referring to when he said "queen"? Did he just try to propose to Glinda?

The two continued their walk in silence.

"Fiyero, do you remember that day when Elphie and I went to Emerald City?" Glinda asked, looking towards the setting sun. He nodded. "I was aimless back then. I never gave a thought for what to do with my life. But Emerald City helped me discover my dreams. Of course, it was mostly Elphie's then. But I now claim them as my own," she continued reflectively.

Finally, she looked at Fiyero. In her eyes, he saw determination – something he saw in someone else's eyes five years ago.

"I want to become a better sorcerer, not just for me or Elphie… I want to be of service not just to Emerald City or to one country. I want to become a source of hope for all of Oz," she finished.

That way, she rejected his offer. With her response, he realized what he just did. He wanted to punch himself for being a jerk, offering her what he could give only half-heartedly. She just saved them both from heartache. He wanted to hug or kiss her for that, but he chose not to.

"I understand," was all he could say, grateful that she did not take his message negatively. "I shall look forward to working with you in the future, your Goodness." He bowed to her respectfully.

Glinda giggled. "Likewise, your Majesty." She curtseyed, acting as if the young prince was already the king. "I hope to befriend our dear queen soon." She winked. They laughed.

* * *

"Oh, no, no! We met in college and became very close friends. But we're not a couple," Glinda told the interviewers in a press conference held shortly after her weekend in Vinkus. The conference was meant to entertain questions about the Wizard's new projects but the press people knew that the audience was also curious about the private lives of their public figures.

"Besides," she continued. "My heart can accommodate only so much…"

Murmurs and gasps were heard from the audience. It was obvious that the people had one common question in mind. Finally, someone among the interviewers asked the big question. "Milady, if you don't mind answering, who is the lucky person who has captured Miss Glinda's heart?"

Glinda could not help but laugh a little. She smiled sincerely and uttered her answer. "My heart goes to the people of Oz."

Morrible clenched her fists as she watched the press conference through the magic box in the Wizard's office. "How dare that brat ruin my plan? That little…! She doesn't know who she's dealing with!"

The Wizard took a sip of his tea. "Relax, relax," he told Morrible. "It wasn't something we can completely control. Anyway, there is always plan B."

"Right. Of course." Morrible took a seat and tried to calm down. "If we cannot put them together, we might as well just separate them."


	8. 6

Pfannee and ShenShen, of course, were shocked upon learning that Glinda broke up with Fiyero. Their vacation, after all, was supposed to be a triple date. Despite Glinda's insistence that it was not their fault, the two girls were a bit saddened the excursion they organized led to a break-up.

Unknown to her two friends, Glinda was actually thankful that it happened. She was not happy about the idea of a break-up but, at least, it led her and Fiyero to being more honest to each other and having their friendship fortified. Also, she was reminded of what she long had wanted to do in Emerald City.

With her renewed interest in sorcery, Glinda dedicated a few hours every other day in reading or rereading her college textbooks and notebooks. She also rummaged Elphaba's books and notebooks that she claimed after her roommate's disappearance. Her work as press secretary did not heavily demand her to read books or study, so it took her some effort to adjust to her new schedule. After reacquainting herself with the basic theories in sorcery, she lessened her time for reading to give way for some practice.

She stood in the middle of the palace courtyard, feeling excited and nervous at the same time. It had been a while since she last performed a spell that was not summoning her giant bubble. With a swish and flick of her wand, she muttered a spell to form a small fireball. She realized how rusty her casting skills have become when, at an awkward flick of the hand, the fireball blew up wildly. Staring at her severely burned magic wand, she sighed.

Glinda wanted to seek help from other sorcerers in the palace, but she knew they were quite busy and difficult to approach. Madame Morrible was a mainstay in the palace and she might be able to help her, but she did not really like asking for assistance from one she considers an enemy.

Fortunately, she heard of a marketplace where magical items and potion ingredients are sold. Finding some time to spare, she used the time to visit a shop of wands and charms.

"Welcome to Quasicrystals!" the shopkeeper announced automatically upon hearing the chimes near the door. "Come on in and… Oh! Glinda?"

Glinda's eyes landed on the woman behind the counter. "Professor Spiegel!" More comfortable upon finding a familiar face, she went further into the little shop.

"Yes. Um. Well. Not anymore. It's Professor Penrose now," the woman replied as she walked around the counter. "But you can just call me Lily, if you want." Glinda smiled, noticing her former professor's wedding ring and baby bump. "Do you mind if I just call you Glinda?"

"N- no! Of course not!" Glinda answered, smiling. "Prof- um… Lily, do you work here?"

"Yep. Family business. I help my husband run the shop while I'm on leave from Shiz," Lily answered.

"Oohh…" Glinda scanned the room, which housed various trinkets and magical items. She wondered if the shop also offers repair services.

"So, how can I help you?" Lily offered.

"Umm…" Glinda shyly fetched a bundle from her bag. She removed the wrapper to reveal her broken wand. "I heard that this shop sells charms and wands, so I thought you might be able to fix this. Can you help me?"

The shopkeeper took the bundle and inspected the damaged item. "Charms can be enormously powerful, but they are just as tough as the item itself. Jewelry items are often used because they are small and not very easy to break… and fashionable, of course," she explained, pointedly looking at Glinda at the last phrase. The young lady chuckled. "Although charms and wands are differently made, the same goes for wands. This is a pretty bad burn. I guess we need to find another wand for you." She gestured for Glinda to follow her towards the shelves containing boxes of wands.

As she squeezed herself through the shelves after Lily, Glinda sighed. "I should have been more careful."

"What happened?" Lily asked curiously.

"I tried to cast a fire spell, like we do in basic sorcery," Glinda answered. "But something as simple as that, I couldn't even do. And I destroyed my wand."

"Getting a little rusty, aren't we?" the teacher on-leave asked good-naturedly. "Cheer up, girl. It's been years. At least you've managed to conjure a little fireball." The younger sorcerer smiled a little.

"You just need more practice," the teacher continued. "Ooh! I know! Maybe we can practice together!"

Glinda's eyes brightened. "R- really?"

"Well, since my husband who loves me so much made me take a break from school, I'm getting a little bored. I might as well put some of my time into good use." Lily answered as she scanned through the boxes of wands with her eyes. "And I think I'm getting a little rusty, too. We can help each other."

Absent-mindedly, Glinda watched her former professor inspect the wands in the shelves.

"Ah, here you go! I think this one will do for now," Lily said, uncovering a box containing a simple pearl wand with a slight pink tinge. "So, what do you think? C'mon, try it."

"Wow, it's beautiful," Glinda replied, admiring the wand. Her hands stopped midway, cautious as she tried to grab the item. "C- can I touch it?"

Lily snorted, shoving the wand to her student's hands. "It's a wand, Glinda. In case you don't remember, it's actually meant to be held." They laughed. "Ready?"

Glinda held the wand in her right hand, testing it, and adapted a stance for spell casting. "Yep! Let's do this!"

* * *

Despite having their respective tasks to do at work, Glinda and Lily were able to meet twice or thrice a week for early morning training and breakfast. After going over the spells that were taught in college sorcery in Shiz, Lily rewarded Glinda for doing quite well – the teacher taught her student more complicated spells, including a few which can be handy in combat.

For Glinda, who lost her best friend and study buddy in sorcery, it was quite refreshing to be able to practice her lessons with someone again. Lily not only became the young sorcerer's mentor – she became a friend.

Eventually, however, Lily had to tone down her sorcery training as her pregnancy progressed. Glinda continued to practice even without a sparring partner, sometimes with only her mentor's supervision.

Morrible, carrying recent reports about uprisings in the eastern and southern parts of Oz, tiredly walked back to her office. It was tiresome being the only one in the palace who was actually doing _real_ work, as she puts it. The Wizard had always been annoyingly too calm to her liking.

In her office, she sat down and breathed wearily. Even Madame Morrible, a powerful sorcerer, gets exhausted sometimes.

Through her window, she saw an interesting sight – little Miss Glinda, wand in her hand, in a spell-casting stance. Morrible lifted an eyebrow as she studied the young sorceress. "This is going to be amusifying…"

Glinda stood at the snow-covered backyard of the palace. From her stance, she moved her arm and flexed her wrist, taking command of her magic wand. Upon finishing the incantation, she drew a ball of snow, making it float midair. She uttered another incantation, sending a warm wave of energy around the snowball, which turned into a water ball.

It took a while before she noticed the small frog that was frozen in the ball of ice. With the ice melted, the frog jumped out of the water ball. She shrieked and lost control of her spell. The water fell to the ground and splashed to her shoes and skirt.

"Tsk! Almost had it there," she said as she adjusted her stance again.

Even as she took her as student, Morrible never thought of Glinda as one who is talented in magic. If not for the girl's charm to people, which she can use to her advantage, she would have abandoned her as a student. Amused with what she just saw through the window, Morrible chuckled. "Poor little girl. She never gets it right."


	9. 7

Glinda closed her eyes, concentrating power to her hand. A small crimson light shone at the tip of her wand.

She recalled some of her many futile attempts to perform this spell. The first one was way back in Shiz. How naïve was she back then.

The spell was not something her professors taught in the classroom, but she insisted on learning and perfecting it. After all, a sorcerer will eventually have his or her signature spell. If she was going to have a signature spell, this might as well be the one.

"Focus, Glinda."

At her mentor's voice, Glinda snapped back to reality. She opened her eyes, looking towards the target. Her spell would be rendered useless if it does not hit the target, after all.

"I must do this," she internally told herself. "If I can't do this…" She gulped at the thoughts that came after. "Elphie…"

Glinda had long admitted that she was nowhere near Elphaba when it comes to talent and intellect. When she trained under Madame Morrible, the old sorceress needed not to tell her how clumsy she was.

Despite Morrible's treatment and occasional remarks on her clumsiness back in Shiz, Elphaba was there to help her keep up with their lessons and encourage her in pursuing her dreams.

Glinda had travelled a long way from her desolate state after losing her best friend. But that never meant that she was giving up in her search.

More determined than she was before, she braced herself for the release of the spell. "This is for you, Elphie!" was her battle cry.

After uttering an incantation, she swiftly whipped her wand, directing the magic towards the target.

The crimson light hit the target and expanded, enveloping almost everything in the room in brightness. Glinda and Lily had to close their eyes to protect themselves from the blinding light.

When the light subsided, they opened their eyes and marveled at the effect of Glinda's spell. The two ladies jumped for joy and squealed like little girls. The simple black frock turned into a pink ball gown.

"That. Is. So. Beautiful! Oh, Glinda, my dear student, I'm so proud of you!" Lily said, almost teary-eyed.

Glinda's eyes sparkled. "Really? Oh, I'm delightified!" The two hugged each other and squealed happily. Their little celebration was interrupted by the sound of Glinda's empty stomach.

"That spell took a lot of your energy, huh?" the teacher commented. "C'mon, let's eat. It's on me!"

As Glinda's only friend nearby aside from Fiyero, Lily was told about Elphaba and her disappearance. She already knew that Glinda suspected that Morrible, equipped with the Grimmerie, was the person behind it. Knowing Morrible personally, she found it plausible.

Glinda had known Lily for the past few months as someone trustworthy. They may have differences but she had known her as someone who would judge her fairly, unlike Morrible. She felt nice having a mother- and sister-figure and a mentor in one package.

"You actually still wear that," Lily commented when she noticed the silver chain around Glinda's wrist. "I thought it was supposed to be an anklet."

"It is, but I wear it as a bracelet so I can see it more often," Glinda replied. "After all, it was the one that protected me from Morrible's spell. It's because of this charm that I still remember Elphie. Fiyero and I."

"You are aware that that was a one-time-use charm, aren't you?" her mentor asked.

She nodded. "I just wanted to put on something to remember her by."

"Okay. I'm just making sure you're not expecting it to protect you. That chain cannot block harmful spells anymore. Morrible is dangerous enough even without the Grimmerie. And, whether it was her or someone else who is responsible for Elphaba's disappearance, she can use what you know against you. Be careful always, Glinda."

"I will."

Lily took a sip from her teacup. "That Elphaba. She's something, isn't she?"

"Mhmm." Glinda looked at her teacher curiously, waiting for her to continue.

"The Grimmerie contains powerful spells. Many Ozian literature, history and sorcery scholars agree that these spells are powerful because they summon the power of Kumbricia, herself," Lily explained, referring to the powerful witch character from ancient Ozian folklore. "For her to be able to create a charm that can dispel something from the Grimmerie, she must be so…" She paused and thought of a proper word. "Magical."

Glinda nodded while she fiddled with the item that once protected her – or so she thought.

* * *

Frexspar Thropp had been carrying his current illness for almost five years. He practically spent last year on his sickbed in his house in Rush Margins. Every day had become more and more difficult to bear. The yearlong cold weather never helped. Death had been an elusive visitor that he would welcome with open arms.

Every morning, when he woke up, he asked the Unnamed God why he could not spare him mercy by putting an end to his woeful life. But, sometimes, it is not the lack of answer that urges humans to ask such questions – sometimes it is the suppression or denial of the answer. As a devout unionist, of course he knew the answer to his own question. He also knew he could have acted on it long ago. One can just wonder how pride can blind a person into believing that wrong actions can be corrected by another wrong.

This day, unlike his many days in sickbed, however, was different. He has not eaten anything in the past few days because of fasting but he did not feel hungry – in fact, he never felt better in the last five years. While waiting for his daughter, Nessarose, his heart felt light and peaceful.

Nessarose was Frex's pride and joy. He did everything he could to make her life easier despite her being born without the ability to walk. He already gave her everything – through his last will and testament – except for one important thing.

"Father!" Sitting on her wheelchair, Nessarose wheeled herself into her father's office. "It's so nice to see you again. How are you feeling?"

"Better, especially since my beautiful daughter is here," Frex replied lovingly. He knelt down and kissed his daughter's hand. "How have you been doing in Colwen Grounds, Nessa?"

"Everything's great so far. We've been busy recently preparing for a convention next month. Fortunately, the kids are doing great. They're really excited to see the Emerald City," she happily answered. Her answer was followed by some more stories about her current work in helping poor Munchkin children.

"That's good." He felt proud of her staying and working in Colwen Grounds even without his supervision. He paused and sat down on the chair behind his office table. "Anyway, we have something important to talk about. Nessa, could you please get that suitcase for me?" he asked, pointing to the case placed in the bottom level of a bookshelf.

Immediately, Nessa realized what the case contained – documents related to Frex's estates and properties. It was something she will never be ready to talk about. It pained her to see her father lose his hope of recovering from his illness.

"F- Father… Nanny told me that you've been doing great these past few days. There's no need for this."

Frex sighed.

"The Unnamed God is gracious, father," his daughter continued. "You will be healed in no time. Please don't give up. Remember what you said to me in my graduation day? Don't you want to walk me down the aisle? To hold your grandchildren in your arms? Father, I…"

Frex gently gestured for her to stop. "Calm down, dear. We will not talk about that now. I've already settled the papers yesterday. Anyway, if you don't want to see the documents now, you know where to find them."

Nessa watched her father as he retrieved a wooden box from the drawer beneath his table. He handed it to her.

Inside the box were old photographs. "It's mother's picture," Nessa said as she stared at the first photograph she saw. She never had the chance to see her mother alive but, somehow, she felt very much familiar with the face in the picture.

"That was your mother when she was about your age," he said, describing the picture.

Nessa fondly inspected the contents of the box further. The pictures were taken mostly from her parents' wedding day and from their early days as a couple. But one picture caught her attention – a yellowed and slightly washed out picture of her mother holding a toddler. She was completely sure she was not the child in the picture. The baby's complexion, she noticed, seemed odd but it might just be a result of the natural material degradation of the photograph.

"Father, who is this little baby?" she asked, showing the picture to her father. "This photograph could have been beautiful if it was still in good condition. The face of the baby was washed out."

"That, my dear, is Elphaba. You couldn't pronounce her name correctly when you were little, so you ended up calling her Fabala." Frex answered.

"Oh," was Nessa's only reply. "Who is she? A daughter of a neighbor, perhaps?"

Frex was not anymore taken aback by her indifference towards Elphaba's name. He never knew why, since five years ago, other people acted as if there was no Elphaba that existed. He found it odd – how could people easily forget someone so different?

It was not such a bad thing to him back then – at least he was not the father of the green girl anymore. If it had not been for her, his life would not be as miserable. Nessa should have been born normal, and his wife, Melena, should have not died when she gave birth to Nessa.

He also found out that, aside from people's memories, Elphaba's photographs were washed out. In Nessa's last letter about Elphaba, he noticed the parts of the paper onto which references to Elphaba were written looked smudged or scratched. Convinced that it was best not to tell anyone about Elphaba, he kept old letters and photographs and hid them from other people, particularly Nessa.

Denial of the existence of something that actually exists or existed, however, did not change anything. Melena was still dead and Nessa was still crippled. As a devout worshipper of the Unnamed God, he knew more than most people that His plans will be carried out, no matter how much people try to stray from them.

He cleared his throat to tell Nessa what he thought she deserved to know. "She's your sister."


	10. 8

Fiyero stared at the newly modified uniforms in his wardrobe. At first glance, they looked no different from how they looked a few days ago. He was, however, strongly aware of the difference made by new insignia sewn onto their shoulders. He had been promoted to a higher rank in the Wizard's militia.

Shortly after his promotion, he was given an important mission. There had been small uprisings in Quadling Country, particularly in the Quadling Kells, which served as home to the power plant that provides fuel and energy for Oz. Reports say that the rebels were Animals who turned themselves into bandits. They also say that the rebels steal food and supplies from the power plant workers and from the other humans nearby. Fiyero was tasked to lead the junior officers stationed in the power plant in investigating the uprisings and putting an end to them.

Somehow, Fiyero doubted the information given to him, knowing that members of the Gale Force, him included, had been conditioned to have a negative prejudice on Animals. Who knows? Perhaps the Animals were just minions of a human mastermind. What if they were actually humans dressed up as Animals? In Vinkus, the huntsmen sometimes used animal hides to conceal themselves from their targets.

Since he started working for the Wizard, he did not really know who to believe. Nonetheless, he decided to accomplish the task while keeping his eyes and mind open for other things that might come up. Quadling Country and Quadlings were, after all, unfamiliar to him.

Preparing for his trip, he grabbed his uniforms and some other articles of clothing from his wardrobe and placed them into his travel bag. He was asked to leave as soon as possible.

"Please don't go, Fiyero!" Glinda told him half-jokingly – and half-meaningfully – pulling his sleeve like a five-year old. She left her office for a while so she could see him off before he left.

Fiyero chuckled. "You know I wouldn't if I had the choice," he said. "I'll miss you, Gli-… H- Hey! Don't cry!"

Glinda sniffed. "B- but I can't help it! You're my only friend in the palace and you're going to leave!"

He understood her point very well. In a very dangerous place known as the Wizard's palace, Fiyero and Glinda only had each other as real comrades and source of comfort to their grief. Both to comfort Glinda and himself, he gathered her in his arms.

"You're a tough girl. I'm sure you'll get by," he told her soothingly.

"It won't be the same, but I'll try," she replied. After holding onto him tightly for the last time before he left, she let him go and wiped her tears quickly. "Come back alive, okay? And write to me! Everyday!" she said, with emphasis on the last word.

"I'll try my best. I shall look forward to reading your letters, too," he said, smiling. "And… tell me if you find… _anything_," he continued, in a low voice. "Perhaps I might also find something out in Quadling. The Wizard is powerful and far-reaching, after all. I don't know… I'll keep you updated. Just keep an eye on him and Morrible, but be careful."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! Of course!" Reminded of her long lost best friend, Glinda was on the verge of tears again.

"Ugh. Stop it!" Fiyero chastised playfully while gently patting her head. "We'll find her. I promise."

Finally, they bid each other farewell. Glinda watched Fiyero's carriage disappear into the horizon. Her heart thumped hard as she felt both ecstatic about the idea of reuniting with Elphaba and sick of the thought that it might be the last time she saw Fiyero. Silently, she uttered a prayer for the two people who held a special place in her heart.

* * *

As expected, it did not feel the same without a friend nearby. Nonetheless, Glinda kept herself busy with work, study and some occasional social gatherings. She continued her sorcery training even without the supervision of Lily, who had to stay home to rest.

Time came when Glinda could not think of anything else to practice. In times like this when she somehow felt like she had mastered everything, Lily was always quick to suggest challenges or something new to learn. She could visit her teacher, but she did not want to disturb her in her precious time with her husband and unborn child. From then on, Glinda decided to take her sorcery lessons on her own.

She was never the type who learns mainly from books – given the choice, she would rather be taught through demonstration. But this time, aside from asking Morrible to teach her some spells from the Grimmerie, she had no choice but to hit the books in the library.

The palace's library was more like a stockroom because almost half of its shelves contained old documents and periodicals. Nonetheless, it still served as home to a substantial amount of reference books. Glinda was even glad to see some familiar but rare titles and authors in the sorcery section. Elphie, her bookworm friend, could have died from envy if she knew Glinda was able to get a hold of those books.

To her dismay, however, the books in the sorcery section did not look so appealing to a mild reader like Glinda. The titles, most of them entitled "Advance Sorcery" but by different authors, seemed intimidating. She figured, of course, that the Wizard's viziers are the people who used this library, so it should only be expected that books there were about the most complicated things.

While scanning through the spines of the books in the shelves, a particular title caught her attention.

"Gimme the Grimmerie!" she read the title, one eyebrow raised. What was a comic book doing there in the midst of serious reference materials?

Later, after surveying the books in the section, Glinda ended up reading articles about the Grimmerie. It was, after all, Horrible Morrible's tool of trade.

_Levitation, creation of poisonous concoctions, time alteration, mental torture and instant death._ Those were some of the effects of spells from the ancient magic book according to the articles she read. Aside from that, there was little information written about the magic book. In addition to the fact that it was written in a lost language of spells, not many people have used or even read the Grimmerie. Its spells require huge amount of magical power, thus they are dangerous to both target and caster.

After going over one pile of books, she decided to take a break. Again, the comic book from the sorcery section caught her attention, so she took it from the shelf and brought it to the reading area.

She flipped the pages of the book randomly until she found a spread, where an evil-looking wizard was shown. He was holding, in his right hand, a scepter and, in the other, a book, which, Glinda assumed, was the Grimmerie. She went a few pages back and learned that the wizard was trying to cast a spell sends the target to an inescapable illusory parallel world. To the wizard's disappointment, however, the target, a brave princess, was not affected by the spell. Glinda's mind almost automatically labeled the princess with the name "Elphaba" but she later learned that the particular character did not have magical powers. Several frames later, an elder told the princess' friends that her brave and loving heart and her desire to protect her friends were strong enough to fight off the Grimmerie's curse.

Glinda wished it was that easy in real life. Nonetheless, those few frames from the comic book piqued her interest so she went to the first page and restarted reading.

Hours passed without Glinda noticing, if not for her aching head and back. She yawned unceremoniously and stretched her arms and legs. "Tomorrow is another day," she told herself, preparing to leave.

In another side of the library, the Wizard, with a book in his hand, lounged himself on a couch. Since he became the Wizard of Oz, it has been a while since he last spent a lazy day curled up with a good read.

He almost jumped from his seat when he heard a movement from the other side of the room. Curious, he stood up and walked to check out the source of the sound. He placed a hand on his chest in relief when he saw a familiar face.

"Oh, hello there, Glinda!" he greeted her warmly. He noticed the books she was holding. "Working hard, aren't we?"

"Your Ozness!" She bowed. "What are you doing here?" Somehow, she thought it was a bit of a rude question but, to her relief, he just dismissed it.

"Everyone seemed too busy today. Even Morrible had important things to do. She'll be away for a few days. I went here looking for something useful to do," he answered. "You see, I've been here for twenty six years, but there are a lot of things about Oz I still don't know. So I might as well do my own homework. Ah, Ozian history and literature are actually quite remarkable!"

Glinda was surprised to hear that from the Wizard. She always saw him with Morrible, making him look like an unintelligent, indecisive old man. Now that he was on his own, he seemed to be responsible and diligent. Perhaps, he was smarter than he lets on.

"You seem tired. Are you alright?" the Wizard asked, concern written on his face.

Glinda plastered a smile, trying to hide her fatigue. The Wizard was not exactly the person she was willing to show her weaknesses to. "I'm fine, your Ozness. Just a little headache."

He fetched a small green bottle from his pocket. "Here, have a swig of this. It dulls the pain."

She shook her head. "No, thank you," she replied politely, while gathering a few books that she intended to borrow. "I think I'll lie down."


	11. 9

Glinda marched into the Emerald Palace to begin another typical working day, or so she thought. As she walked towards the palace door, she mentally listed her activities for the day. Looking forward to the weekend, she wanted to finish her work as early as possible so she could go shopping and get some beauty treatments in the evening.

The sight that welcomed her to the palace complex interrupted her thoughts. About five or six guards were pulling someone from the Gale Force vehicle, which was parked nearby.

_A prisoner, perhaps._ Glinda walked towards them to check out what was going on.

"Good morning, Lady Glinda!" a guard greeted her with a salute.

"Good morning, Sir," she returned with a curtsy. "What's the situation?"

"An escaped prisoner, Milady," the guard answered. "He destroyed the old lock in his cell in the Southstairs. But we won't be returning him there. Madame Morrible will… Hey you! You call yourself a Gale Forcer? Don't let that little chimp bite you!" he shouted to one of his subordinates.

"Chimp?"

A monkey shrieked noisily and tried to squirm out of the guards' grip. Glinda wondered if she was only imagining the words that she could make out of the monkey's screeches.

Finally, the guards were able to bind the primate's limbs in chains. They also tied something to its back. _Or was it something that was attached to the animal's back?_

"Tie its wings tightly, men," the head of the guards commanded. "We don't want to repeat the same mistake."

_Wings?_ Glinda's hands flew to cover her mouth as she recalled the events that changed her life. After returning to Shiz, she never knew what happened to the Monkeys that grew wings because of the spell Elphaba was told to cast more than five years ago. She can even remember the Wizard and Morrible talking about what excellent scouts the flying Monkeys would make. Was this monkey – or Monkey – one of those Animals?

"W- wait! Where are you bringing him?"

"To Madame Morrible. If you'll excuse us, Milady. We shall be on our way."

Not knowing what to make out of this simple encounter, she only nodded and went on her way to her office.

* * *

More than two hours already passed after the sunset. Glinda sat dejectedly on her office chair. Two emergency meetings and a few other things prevented her from leaving as early as she planned. For some reason she was not sure of, preparations for the Ozian leaders' annual gathering, which was still roughly one month away, were being rushed. She could only sigh and stare at her reservation stub that she planned to use that night at the spa.

Nonetheless, she stood up, gathered some of her things into her bag and left. There was still time for dinner and coffee.

On her way to the palace gate, she looked back to the palace complex and observed that it was easily noticeable which offices are still up in the evening. Most of the lights inside the administration and executive building, which she just exited, were turned off. Only a handful of its windows remained lighted because of those who work diligently even beyond office hours or make up for their absences in the morning. The other buildings, including the palace museum, library and cafeteria, were still well lit but will be closed after two or three hours. The palace guards' headquarters is still open for obvious reasons.

And there was this old building not far from the one she frequents. Known as the "Tower of Magic," it serves as a haven to those who seek to find knowledge and harness their magical powers. Consequently, it had been the birthplace of various spells that are being taught in universities and sorcery schools.

Glinda remembered the first time she walked that hall, when she was still an apprentice to Madame Morrible. The entrance led to a gallery that showcases the faces of famous wizards, witches and sorcerers of Oz. In the middle of the room was a huge chunk of emerald enclosed in a glass box. She was unable to go around much in the other areas of the building, but she knew that the upper floors consisted mostly of libraries and research laboratories.

Curious, she walked towards the tower. Perhaps she would also spend much time there someday, when she gets better in sorcery.

Like most of the buildings in the palace complex, the Tower of Magic is protected by a spell. Luckily, Glinda knew how to break through the magical lock, so it was not so difficult for her to enter.

Except for two additional pictures sorcerers and a few minor changes in the decorations, nothing has changed in the room since she last saw it. She surveyed the pictures, as well as the descriptions written beside them. The descriptions were mostly about the achievements of the sorcerer being described and his or her contributions to Oz. Glinda suddenly thought of her best friend when they were younger. If things had turned out differently, she was sure Elphaba's portrait would someday make it to this hall.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a piercing sound. _Was that a scream?_ She looked around and found nothing so she shook it off, thinking that perhaps it was only her hunger and fatigue that was making her imagine things. But it went on again for two or three times. Based on its direction and intensity, she figured that it came from one or two levels above her.

Goosebumps crept up her arms and neck. She was not sure what to make out of the sounds she just heard. _What if it was a ghost, a monster, a murderer or, worse, a cockroach?_

Against her better judgment, she tiptoed up the stairs and across the hallways of the second floor. The lights were still on, to her relief. But she found nothing in the laboratories in that floor, so she proceeded to the next level.

In the third level, there was one room with its lights turned on. Once again, she heard the sound, which clearly came from that room. Her heart rate doubled as she silently walked towards it.

She suddenly stopped on her tracks when she heard a thud, followed by a moan of pain and an angry voice.

"Why you little…! How dare you… useless, pathetic! Next!" was all Glinda could make out of the familiar voice that boomed from the mysterious room.

Upon reaching the door, she crouched outside and peeked through its keyhole. She covered her mouth as she gasped in horror from what she saw.

"Ugh. One monkey left. I should have asked for more," the voice said.

Glinda adjusted her angle so she could put a face to the voice. Her suspicion was right – it was Morrible. She could only watch helplessly as the old sorcerer tried to bind the monkey in chains.

"Oh, come on! The pain will be gone faster if you cooperate!" Morrible chastised the animal while harshly tugging its arm.

"Let… go. Please… let… go…" another monkey – or Monkey – pleaded while the sorcerer dragged one of its companions. The voice was hoarse but Glinda heard it clearly. She noticed that the Monkey who spoke had wings like the one she saw in the morning. The other Monkey didn't have wings.

"Oh, so you're talking now, huh? Take this!" Morrible pointed her wand to the cuff that held the winged Monkey's neck and made it shrink. She laughed loudly as she watched the Monkey yelp in pain.

After securing the Monkeys in place, she obtained a book and turned it to a bookmarked page.

_It's the Grimmerie!_ Glinda focused her view to the sorcerer who started reading some spell from the book. It was the same spell that Elphaba cast on the Monkeys who now had wings. She cringed upon realizing what Morrible was trying to do.

A dim green light shone after Morrible finished her incantation. Two white rods, which looked like premature bones, grew out of the wingless Monkey's back. The rods elongated and divided into smaller bones until two skeletal wings formed.

"Yes! Yes!" Morrible marveled at her progressing work.

Glinda almost threw up seeing Morrible take no regard about the violent shaking of the Animal or the continuous flow of blood that formed a dark red pool under her victim.

The green light seemed to fade too early to Morrible's liking. Along with the light, life seemed to dissipate from the Monkey, which fell limply if not for the chains that bound it. Consequently, the wings that grew out of the Monkey's back remained skeletal, without any signs of flesh.

"No! No, no, no, no! It's too soon," Morrible's panicked voice muttered as she watched her spell come into a halt. Soon, the light was replaced by smoke.

"Oh, you useless creature!" the sorcerer shouted while kicking the lifeless animal's abdomen.

She was uncertain if it was a good thing but Glinda felt relieved for the fact that the Monkey did not have to suffer any more pain.

"Who goes there?"

Glinda was taken aback. Was she caught? She peeked again through the keyhole only to find Morrible aiming her wand to the door.

"Even rats aren't allowed to see these… _sessions_. You know too much. You'll have to join the rest of your kind."

A glaring light was the last thing Glinda saw before she woke up in her apartment room. _It was just a dream._ But she wondered why, unlike any of her other dreams, she could remember it vividly and completely as if it really happened.

She looked around and saw that everything seemed normal, except for the warm sensation around her wrist. Upon lifting her hands, she realized that the warmth came from the charmed silver chain she had been wearing as a bracelet.


	12. 10

_Fiyero dearest,_

_How are you doing there? You haven't replied to my last six letters! Oz, Fiyero, I told you not to make me worrified! Anyway, I hope you're doing well there. Just write soon, okay?_

_It's quite a mess here in the palace. The Wizard will hold a gathering for the leaders of the countries of Oz soon, so everyone in the palace is busy. I've been working on writing and sending invitations to everyone. After that, I still have to arrange the program for the big event. We all know I love parties but, Oz, I'm so exhaustified! I wish I could just sit down and breathe for a while. Horrible Morrible isn't even here to control everyone._

_Oh, has anyone told you? Morrible will be away for a few weeks. I just don't know where to, but at least I can breathe a little easier now._

_Please please please reply this time, Fiyero, or I'll go there, myself! Update soon!_

_-Glinda_

_P.S. I just realized that one of the VIPs would be your father. What's he like?_

Fiyero chuckled and sighed as he read Glinda's letter. He grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started writing his reply.

_Dear Glinda,_

_I wrote to you seven days ago. You've just sent me six letters in six days. Relax, Glinda. It's not like I'm going to die or something in a few days. In fact, I'm planning to stay alive and, you know, tour around this place a little. Quadling isn't so bad. Well, once the hailstorms stop. No wonder people here find it difficult to find food. That's probably the reason why the bandits steal food, especially from foreigners._

_Thank you for your concern, though. I really appreciate it. But don't forget that you're the one in closer proximity to 'them.' Spare some of your worry for yourself, too, especially now that you know much about Morrible (whether it was really just a dream, like you told me in your other letter, or not, honestly, I think she's the type who could do such things) and her magic book. We can never know until when will they put their trust in you._

_By the way, how's your research going? I really hope I can somehow help you instead of just sitting here and doing nothing. We're still in Qhoyre, waiting for the signal before going to the Kells. We were told that the path towards the power plant is long, winding and dangerous, so someone who knows the way has to escort us._

_About father, well, he's usually cool and silent. But, knowing you, you can pull off a conversation with anyone. Just say hi to him. I think he already knows you._

_I suppose I would hear from you very soon. Take care always._

_-Fiyero_

After sending his mail, Fiyero walked around the town, along with his Horse, for sightseeing. He was not sure how long they would have to stay in Quadling Kells. Qhoyre, although it was nothing compared to Emerald City, was the closest thing to a city that they could get in Quadling Country. Once their convoy to the mountains comes to fetch him and his subordinates, they must leave immediately.

Earlier that day after their meeting, Fiyero allowed his subordinates to restock their supplies, visit family and friends, tour around the place, sleep or whatever way they choose to spend the rest of the day. While most of the junior officers chose to stay close to the town hall square, Fiyero strayed a little to the more residential areas of the town.

He had to admit that he truly enjoyed the winter wonderland of Emerald City. Watching the gentle snowfall was something he looked forward to when he left the blizzard-plagued Vinkus. He was not disappointed when he started to live in the city. But his heart ached now as he realized that the snow that adorned Emerald City was the same thing that ruined Qhoyre.

Along the streets, he saw a few remnants of destroyed houses – the old Quadling houses were clearly not meant to endure snowfall. People struggled to keep themselves warm and alive with some fire and makeshift quilts and coats. Fiyero almost stumbled upon stepping on some piece of wood, which, he guessed, was part of a house buried under the snow.

He walked further downtown as he pondered over his thoughts.

"And there I was, complaining about the little pains in my comfortable life in Emerald City." Fiyero said as he dusted off the snow on his Horse's mane. "Helios, what have I been doing all these years?"

The Horse huffed and gave him a look that seemed to say "We're not in Vinkus nor in your house in Emerald City. I won't speak."

The prince sighed, understanding the Animal's expression. "Of course, of course."

Helios gave him an arrogant look, if it were possible. Suddenly, the horse's head jerked towards an alleyway. Fiyero followed the Horse's line of sight and saw a local police officer running after someone.

"Faster! Faster!" the officer commanded his subordinates. "Don't let those monkeys go away!"

Three younger officers ran ahead of their captain.

Curious, Fiyero decided to follow their tracks from the shadows. He mounted himself on his Horse and directed it to an alternate route. Just a few steps later, the prince pulled the reins to stop his Horse when he saw something on top of a brick house – a monkey.

"Look, Helios! It must be one of those monkeys they were trying to capture," he whispered.

To his surprise, a pair of what looked like wings spread at the back of the monkey.

"Captain!" One of Fiyero's junior officers called out. He and two others stopped in front of their captain. "Ah! Finally, we found you, sir."

Fiyero directed his attention to his subordinates, hoping that they did not notice what he was looking at a while ago. "Good afternoon, men. What's the rush all about?"

"We've been requested to return to the inn, sir. Our convoy is about to arrive," the junior officer answered. "The horsemen are waiting for us in the town hall. It won't take long before the carriage reaches Qhoyre."

"Alright. Let's go."

Fiyero let his juniors walk ahead so he could subtly check if the winged monkey was still on the spot or somewhere within the vicinity. With a slight glance, he found out that it had gone away. Somehow, he hoped its captors would not find it.

* * *

Outside the town hall, the rest of the team and two horsemen immediately welcomed them.

"Captain Tiggular," a horseman said, doing a salute. Fiyero responded accordingly. "Our companions are about to come right…" On cue, a carriage and two more horsemen arrived. "…Now."

An engineer, some technicians and a local of Quadling Kells went out of the carriage and greeted the officers. The Quadling man stayed back and held out his hand to their last companion. A ball of fabric, lace, sparkly things and blonde curls flurried out of the vehicle.

_Is this an illusion?_ Fiyero rubbed his eyes only to find out that he was not dreaming. He mentally punched himself. What was he thinking? He had been warned. _Of course she will come!_ He sighed to himself, not knowing what to do with this woman.

"Captain Tiggular. We meet again," the woman told him. "It may sound a bit out of character but I admit I am thrillified to work side by side with you."

He swallowed, kept a straight face, bowed respectfully and spoke between gritted teeth. "Pleasure to see you, too, Madame Morrible."


	13. 11

Glinda stood in front of a full-length mirror in her apartment to check out her almost-finished dress. It was the dress she will be wearing in the opening ceremony for the gathering of Ozian leaders in the Emerald Palace.

Although its color was different from what she originally planned, seeing herself in it, she thought it was not so bad after all. It should have been pink but her friend, Pfannee, now a rising star in the fashion industry in Emerald City, insisted to use a different color. She chose sky blue with accents of silver and white because she found it suitable for Glinda when she summons her giant bubble.

"Maybe you can make this a little tighter, Pif," Glinda told Pfannee, pointing to her waist. "We must hide these flabs. I've been gaining pounds recently."

"Ugh. You're not fat, Glinda. If you call yourself fat, what would you call Horrible Morrible?" Pfannee replied. She had a bit of a hard time placing pins to mark the adjustments because she and Glinda were laughing. Once she did, she said, "There. Any more tighter than that will prevent you from breathing."

Later, Pfannee finished the dress by stitching the fabrics in place while Glinda laid some trinkets across her dressing table. It took almost an hour for the two ladies to finally decide on the best set of accessories and hairdo to match with Glinda's dress.

Glinda stepped into her high-heeled silver sandals and stood again in front of the mirror. This time, she wore the full outfit, including some white-gold jewelry with diamond accents. Finally, Pfannee placed a tiara onto Glinda's head.

"There you go," Pfannee said, moving away so Glinda could see her self on the mirror. "Too bad, Shen isn't here to see this. So, what do you think?"

The blonde looked at herself in the mirror from head to toe. She slightly twisted her body so she can to check out her back. Content with her appearance, she twirled, the skirt beautifully flurrying around her.

Pfannee smiled, feeling happy for her friend and proud of her newest artwork. "I'm taking that as a yes," she said. Suddenly, she found herself trapped in a bear hug.

"Oh, Pfannee, it's perfect! Thank you!" Glinda said, pouring all her love into her hug.

"Glinda, careful! The dress!" Pfannee jokingly chastised. They giggled.

"I have to agree. It's perfect. But I think I can add a little something to that," a new female voice said.

Glinda's smiled as she turned her face towards her incoming guests. "Lily! And Geoffrey! How are you?" she asked, greeting her mentor and her mentor's husband. Her eyes widened upon seeing the little baby in Lily's arms. "Oh! Is she…?"

"Our little pride and joy, yes" Lily answered happily. "Say hello to Miss Glinda and Miss Pfannee, baby."

Glinda and Pfannee took a closer look at the baby girl, who greeted them with a cute yawn.

"Aww…" the ladies said in chorus. The parents of the baby chuckled.

Geoffrey coughed. "Honey, you might forget the purpose of our visit here," he said to Lily, winking.

"Oh, right!" Lily handed the baby to her husband and took the box he was holding. Then she looked at Glinda, eye to eye. "Glinda, for months, we have trained together. For just a short time, I have seen much improvement not just in your sorcery skills but also in your maturity. Even without my guidance, you have continued your search for knowledge and practice of skills. Let me just say that you have made this lowly teacher proud."

Touched and teary-eyed, Glinda hugged her teacher. Pfannee came to Glinda's side to rub her friend's back.

"Oh, you crybaby! That was just an introduction and you're already crying," Lily chastised jokingly while wiping Glinda's tears. They all laughed.

"Okay. Going back," Lily continued. "Since you've done well and you're now capable of standing on your own, perhaps it's time we give you this. We were planning to save this for your birthday but that's almost half a year away. I want you to start to get used to this as soon as possible."

Lily laid the box on the floor and opened it to reveal a silver scepter. Its head resembled a snowflake made from unevenly cut pieces of crystal. Upon contact with light, the crystals that studded the scepter reflect it, creating a beautiful display of rainbow colors on the walls of the room.

"It's a special staff that enhances its user's control over the water element. Not to give myself a pat on the back but I think it's one of the best staffs we in Quasicrystals have ever created," Geoffrey said.

"That's right. Fashionable, too," Lily added. Pfannee nodded in agreement. "Here, Glinda. Take it."

Glinda slightly flinched at the weight of the staff. For a second, it felt a thousand times heavier than a typical wand. Not only did she feel the weight of the staff itself. It also bore the weight of the hopes and dreams of her teacher, her friends and the people who placed their trust in her.

"Glinda!" Pfannee came to help but Glinda stopped her.

"No, Pif. I can do this."

Seeing the determination in the young sorcerer's eyes, Lily and Geoffrey smiled.

Holding it with her two hands, Glinda lifted the scepter a little more and adjusted to a stance. She closed her eyes and channeled some of her energy to her staff to test it. Light shone from the crystal in the middle of the staff's snowflake-shaped head.

It did not take too long before Glinda became enclosed in a giant bubble. She was simply too happy that she failed to notice immediately the mess she had created in her room in summoning some wind and water around her.

"Ah, the wand works perfectly fine. I'm so glad to finally see it at work. Just a little practice on your control and you'll be fine," Geoffrey told Glinda. Glinda nodded, silently thanking him for his advice.

"Yep," Lily continued. "On the brighter side, I can see that the intensity of your magic certainly improved, Glinda. You just have to play around with your staff so you can increase your control."

Pfannee just could not stand being out of place. "And the wand suits your dress, girl! Oh, Glinda, you look gorgeiferous!" she added. "I can't wait for people to see you in the gathering in the palace!"

"I know!" Glinda replied. They giggled.

* * *

The day Glinda had been anticipating and preparing for finally came. Guests from various parts of Oz poured into the Emerald Palace's grand ballroom. To her relief, she was not the one assigned to welcome them because she had a bigger task to do. In her quarters in the palace, ShenShen and Pfannee helped her dress up for the occasion.

"I can't believe I wasn't invited to witness Glinda's final fitting!" ShenShen complained. "I should have been one of the first people to see her in this dress!"

"Hey, I invited you! But you chose to take your little vacation in Pertha Hills days before the big event?" Pfannee rebutted jokingly. "We've been busy here. We should be the ones complaining, you know."

ShenShen pouted. "Traitor! I saved the news of my engagement so both of you would hear it at the same time."

Pfannee hit ShenShen's arm playfully. "Oh, stop whining and get back to work! The program will start soon."

"Um. Girls. I uh…" Glinda uttered with a small voice, struggling to breathe while her two friends absent-mindedly tightened her corset and pulled her hair back too much.

"Oops. Sorry!" Pfannee and ShenShen simultaneously said.

Moments before the program, Pfannee and ShenShen stared at the mirror, admiring their artwork. Far from how they overly decorate themselves in their younger years, they have learned to choose the select few designs or accessories that will accent one's most appealing attributes. With someone as pretty as Glinda, they did not need to use too much jewelry and make-up. Amidst the sparkly things that decorated her, her overall regal appearance stood out.

"Miss Glinda, the opening ceremony is about to start," a young servant called from the door of Glinda's dressing room.

"Okay!" she cheerfully answered as she stood up from her seat.

She picked up her snowflake scepter and walked towards the door. Before she left, she jumped to her two friends and hugged them like there was no tomorrow.

ShenShen and Pfannee, speechless, looked at each other, searching each other for reasons why Glinda did what she did. Of course, they did not need one. True girl friends willingly return hugs for their girl friends, anyway. Besides, a girl does not simply get used to the heavy task of standing in the midst of the leaders of Oz and representing no less than the Wizard, himself.


	14. 12

One of the Vinkun king's close friends was arguably the most travelled Ozian. He toured in each of the four countries of Oz not only in the places where people dwelled – he swam rivers, crossed deserts and climbed mountains. Children in his hometown, including young Prince Fiyero, were always eager to listen to him when he told them stories about his adventures outside Vinkus.

Fiyero remembered how the now old man described the Quadling Kells. It was nothing like what he saw when they approached their destination. The once mountainous land was mostly flattened to accommodate the structure in its center – the power plant.

Even from a distance, everyone felt a strange aura resonating from the power plant. Their engineer companion explained that they might already be feeling the offshoots of energy coming from the beryllite masses in the plant. Aside from the limited food and water supplies and lack of entertainment, the new power plant guards added offshoots of energy to their mental list of things they must get used to.

Outside the plant, the officers started studying the area while fighting off the cold. After all, this will be the place they will be guarding until Oz knows when.

"Sir, we better get inside the headquarters," the engineer shouted to Fiyero through the deafening sound of the wind. "Madame Morrible is waiting in the office."

Fiyero nodded in response, pulled his Horse and gestured for his men to follow him.

Inside, Fiyero and his team met with some of the power plant personnel, together with Madame Morrible. The head of the personnel led the meeting and briefed the officers of their task, which was to fend off the bandits that terrorize the area. They were given a map of Quadling Kells, some important documents and some provisions.

The meeting mostly focused on the list of guidelines and safety precautions around the vicinity. Aside from provisions, the guards also received some protective gear to dilute the effects of energy offshoots from the plant's reactor. Since they were not as trained and equipped as the plant workers, they were allowed to go only up to the plant's gate.

Morrible remained silent as the meeting proceeded. Fiyero could not help but wonder what she was there for. In their discussions, there was no mention of her tasks. Given that the officers cannot enter the plant, he was almost certain that she would not enter the facility. But, then again, she was a vizier of the Wizard, possibly the most powerful sorcerer of Oz.

After unpacking his things in his quarters, Fiyero grabbed a pen and paper and sat down. Perhaps it was a good time to write to Glinda. At least he had some exciting news to write to her this time.

Just when his pen was about to land on the paper, one of his junior officers barged into his door.

"Captain!" the junior officer called him, panting.

Fiyero stood from his seat. "What is it?"

"The bandits! They're here!" the subordinate answered.

The two joined their team in fending off bandits a few feet away from the power plant's front gate. The bandits wore cloaks and armed themselves with improvised knives and pikes. The officers were told that the bandits were Animals, but from the way they clothed, stood and fought, they could not tell their difference from humans.

But the officers did not let themselves be defeated. They took pride of the strength and discipline they have developed from years of training as members of the Wizard's militia.

With clever footwork and hand-to-hand combat techniques, Fiyero easily disarmed his opponent. He tugged the bandit's arm – or foreleg, he was not sure – to its back while he placed an arm around its neck.

"We don't want to fight," the captain whispered to the bandit. "What do you want here?"

"None of your business!" the bandit answered stubbornly.

The bandit squirmed a little under Fiyero's tightened grip. "Answer me, please."

Fiyero stopped when his eyes randomly to a familiar sight. Another bandit came out probably from the backdoor of the plant. The wind blew its hood to reveal the face of a monkey. It released its wings and flew away.

He was only able to watch the animal go. As if on cue, the bandits also fled and vanished. Contrary to what they expected, none of their food and supplies were stolen. The junior officers cheered and celebrated their little victory. Their captain, on the other hand, was only left puzzled.

"So these guys are just junior officers? The captain hasn't even reached his thirties," the engineer commented as he watched the battle from inside an office in the plant. "Wow, these guys have trained well."

"Only the best are chosen to become part of the Wizard's troops," a female voice from behind him replied. "They should be able to hold our terrorists out while we continue with our work here."

"Why, Madame Morrible, it's a bit late in the evening. Shouldn't you be in your quarters already?" the engineer told her. "It's pretty dangerous in here."

Morrible simply snorted. "Oh, shut up. If it wasn't for me, the beryllite wouldn't even be here."

"Of course, of course." He leaned closer to the window and narrowed his eyes to the leader of their guards. "The captain. Isn't he the prince from Vinkus?" he asked. Morrible nodded. "Isn't bringing a prince to this far-flung place too much?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think he's most suitable here… for this job, I mean."

He only nodded. Breaking the ice, he poured some drink into two goblets and gave one to Morrible. "Cheers."

Clink.

* * *

Ozian dignitaries raised their glasses in their celebratory ball at the end of their conference. It was the time of the year when the Wizard gathers his viziers and the leaders of the four countries of Oz to the Emerald Palace. In these meetings, delegates present updates about the status of their respective nations.

At this time of the year, the palace overflowed with power. It was not the kind of power that Elphaba or Glinda were trying to harness. It was one that moves or manipulates the minds and hearts of people through humanly means, whether it be through servant-leadership, bribery or charisma. The one standing at the top of this system is both envied and respected for his power.

Shortly after his arrival to Oz, the Wizard has risen to the top.

But he never actually showed himself in gatherings – in fact, no one, except for a few people like Glinda and Morrible had ever seen him in person. He usually appeared as a large head sitting on the palace throne. In social gatherings, he assigns people he trusts to represent him.

It had been mostly Morrible, his former press secretary, in the last several years. This year, it was Glinda.

People attend the gathering not only for keeping themselves up-to-date about the happenings around Oz. They socialize and build networks among themselves. Business owners search for allies with whom they could get help from. Wealthy families introduce their children to heirs of other clans for them to find potential business and life partners.

Glinda sighed as she sat down to give her tired feet a break. As the representative of the Wizard and arguably the most beautiful lady in the ball, she certainly was at the top of the list of most partner-seeking bachelors. She could not just simply refuse when she was asked for a dance. Being popular has its pros and cons.

While people of her age are busy trying to look good and woo their persons of interest, Glinda was busy trying to make Oz a better place. "I have better things to do," she told herself as she watched young ladies and gentlemen drink, laugh, chatter and waltz on the dance floor. "I have no time for such… frivolous things!"

Her hands flew over her mouth as she recalled what she just told herself. _Did I just suddenly sound like Elphaba?_

Before the waiter could blink his eyes, Glinda emptied one of the goblets on his tray.

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down, young lady," a handsome-looking man told her. "The night is still young. Now is not a very good time for passing out."

She huffed. "If they can drink all they want, I can drink, too," she stubbornly replied.

The man chuckled. "Yes, of course. But, you see, a drink can be enjoyed more if you take it in slowly." The man grabbed a glass of wine and nodded his thanks to the waiter. "It's even more fun with company. Mind if I take this seat?" he asked, pointing to a nearby seat.

She nodded, relieved that he did not ask her for a dance.

"Ah! Resonance. That band's music is truly timeless. I try not to miss their concerts whenever they visit our country," he commented while listening to the music played by the live band. "I have to hand it to you, Miss Glinda. They say you've made most of the preparations for this evening. Good job."

Somehow, that brought a small smile on her face. "Only doing my best."

"Mhmm." He smiled. "So, where's the man of the party, his Ozness?"

"Well, um… His Ozness sleeps early in the night. The strains of wizardship have been tiring him out everyday," she answered.

"And… it doesn't tire you out?"

She shrugged. "I get by."

"Of course, of course." He paused to drink. "But I hope that you keep in mind that you're not the only person in Oz. You're not the only one responsible for making Oz a better place." She looked at him curiously. "Besides, that pretty face of yours is a sight to behold. I'm sure you don't want it to look old and wrinkled too early. Take it easy, okay?"

Unsure of what to say, she simply nodded.

"Oh, there they are. My wife and my children. Too bad my eldest son cannot come here. It's been a while since we last talked." He stood up and placed his now empty glass on the table. "It's been nice talking to you, Miss Glinda. If you ever need help or anything, please don't hesitate to send me a message or visit us in Vinkus." He extended his arm for a handshake. "My name's Njord, by the way. Njord Tiggular."

She almost choked from her own drink upon realizing that she had been talking to none other than Fiyero's father, the king of Vinkus. Embarrassed, she bowed down to the man apologetically. "Y- Your Majesty! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean any disrespectations…"

The king only chuckled. "No need for formalities, child. You're a family friend. Guess we'll see you around the party, then. The kids would be thrilled to meet you."

_Friend_. That word, matched with the painfully familiar smirk on Fiyero's father's face, had a nice ring to it.


	15. 13

**Thank you, lightningprince and woodland59 for the lovely reviews :)**

* * *

The information given to Fiyero and his team, they figured, were not completely true. They found out by experience there was more than one group of scoundrels attacking the power plant. Some of them were more obviously human while some were actually Animals. The other groups were made of both humans and Animals. Most of them deliberately stole food and supplies. It appeared that the attacks they have encountered so far were only small independent uprisings. It was contrary to what the plant personnel had suspected, that all of those were a part of an organized Animal activity.

To the power plant guards, fighting with the bandits was the easy part. Putting a stop to their attacks was the challenge. Fiyero could only stare at the map posted on the wall and the notes surrounding it. He felt like solving a very difficult puzzle. If their inference were correct, then they would have to deal with several groups and individuals instead of looking for a single mastermind. Thinking about the time and effort they would need to eradicate all rebellious activities around the plant made his head hurt.

He went out of his room to get some air. It was almost his turn to guard the back gate of the power plant, after all.

"Good evening, officers," Fiyero greeted the guards stationed at the gate.

"Good evening, Sir. There's still eight minutes before our shift ends," one of the guards replied.

"Then I'll just stay here with you guys and wait for my turn," Fiyero replied as he sat down together with his companions. "Anything new?"

"Aside from the white horned owl I saw a while ago, there's pretty much nothing, Sir," the guard answered. They laughed.

"Wow, I've never seen one in years!" the captain continued from the conversation the guard opened. "I remember my uncle telling me about the animals living in Quadling Kells. Except for our occasional rodent passersby, I haven't seen any of them here."

"I agree, Sir. Not seeing a monkey around these places is quite new to me," the other guard, who was a Quadling native, said. "My father used to bring me and my siblings to the foot of the hills around this place so we could watch monkeys climb and swing from tree to tree."

"So they once lived here, huh?" Fiyero asked. "Is there any chance that flying monkeys live here, too?"

The other guards laughed. Realizing how stupid his question sounded, Fiyero laughed along.

"Sorry, Captain," the Quadling guard apologized. Fiyero only waved them off. "The monkeys must have moved to a warmer and less populous place," he continued with his story. "With the snow and the power plant here, they would have a hard time looking for berries and seeds to feed on."

"Unless they find our stash and steal our food. That sounds easier," the other guard jokingly added. Again, they laughed.

Later, Fiyero took his post as the two guards left to take their break. Like in the past few days, he had been alone in his shift because his partner was sick. Before coming to the Quadling Kells, Fiyero and his team already anticipated the worst situations they could get into. However, experiencing them first hand had still taken they by surprise. Almost half of the team needed bed rest because of sickness from the cold, a poisonous animal bite or fatigue.

Fiyero struggled to stay warm and awake in the midst of an eerily silent winter night. Just when he was about to give in to sleep, he felt something jump over his head.

"You're back. I knew you would come again," he said to the cloaked figure before it tried to climb plant's gate.

The cloaked figure stopped and looked at him. Fiyero, once again, saw the familiar face of the same monkey he saw in Qhoyre about two months ago. It was only in this time in which he noticed the scars on the monkey's face and neck.

"We already met in Qhoyre, if you remember. And once or twice around this place. What do you want from us?" he continued. The monkey simply kept his gaze onto him. "D- do you want food? I can share. Please, just stop stealing from people."

Fiyero was taken aback when the monkey produced a sound that resembled a snort.

"You really think we'd stoop that low?" the monkey, which was actually a Monkey, replied. "You humans should know better that there are more important things than that! Anyway, I should run. It was nice talking with you, human, but I can't let you get in my way. There are more pressing matters I should be dealing with now. I can't let you catch me."

"Stop! Wait!" Fiyero grabbed the Monkey's tail as it ran its way to the power plant. "It's dangerous there!"

"Ugh. Let go of me! I don't care if it's dangerous. I must save my children!" Fiyero slightly flinched, but he kept his grip at the Animal's tail. "Just let me go this once. Please. You can arrest or kill me after I get my children out of there."

Fiyero yanked the tail a little harder when the Monkey tried to escape by flying. "I don't intend to arrest you. I just want to uh… ask a few questions."

The Monkey laughed bitterly. "A slave of the Wizard who doesn't want to kill an Animal? Ha! After eliminating my neighbors and destroying our houses, do you think I will trust you?"

The captain of the guards internally cringed at the use of the phrase "slave of the Wizard." He wanted to argue, knowing himself that, for the last three years, he had racked his brains understanding the Wizard's schemes and thinking of ways to oppose him. But he could not argue especially now that he ended up in Quadling following the Wizard's orders.

"Tell me, then. How will you be able to protect your children after you get arrested?" he asked, not necessarily expecting an answer. The Monkey only glared at him. "Please calm down. I really just meant to ask a few questions."

Fiyero gently released his grip from the Animal's tail. Fortunately, the Monkey did not run away.

Unable to contain himself, the Monkey was the first one to ask. "Gah! Why are you doing this?"

"I just think many of us are being treated unfairly," Fiyero answered.

The Monkey huffed. "Building this power plant is unfair enough."

Fiyero remembered what his Quadling comrade said about Quadling Kells not long ago. He wondered if this Monkey was one of those Animals that were shooed away by the builders of the power plant.

"Hey, tell me. Have you been inside the power plant?" Fiyero asked. The Monkey nodded. "What's it like?"

A cry from the other side of the power plant interrupted their conversation.

"Intruder at the front gate! We need reinforcements!" a guard shouted to notify his comrades.

Fiyero almost automatically ran towards the site of the commotion. He stopped on his tracks and looked back towards the Monkey.

"Now's the chance. Choose you side, human." The Monkey turned back and jumped over the power plant's gate.

* * *

The Monkey's infiltration to the plant went smoothly, unlike in his first attempt in which he found his young but failed to take them with him. He now had an idea around the nooks and crannies within the facility, so he did not get lost anymore this time.

He was too focused on getting to his children that he did not immediately notice the plant employee he was about to bump into.

"Whoa!" said the man in a laboratory full-body suit as he tripped back a little. "What the… What's a monkey doing here? Get out!"

When the man was about to kick the Monkey, another man in protective gear rushed towards them.

"W- wait! Don't hurt him! That's my, uh… He's my pet, Fluffy!" The second employee said, stuttering.

"Huh?" The other person was dumbfounded. Whether it was because of the presence of the pet or the owner's lack of creativity in coming up with a pet name, he was not sure. "Well, pets aren't allowed here. Take it home."

"Yes, I will. He just kind of snuck into my bag. I didn't notice. I'm sorry."

The other employee only shrugged and left.

"No turning back, human," the Monkey told the person who just saved him.

The man opened his helmet enough to slightly reveal the face of the prince of Vinkus. "I know. Let's go get your kids."

"Infants," the Monkey corrected.

Through Fiyero's agility and the Monkey's directions, they arrived in their destination in no time.

"Will they grow wings, too?" Fiyero asked out of the blue. He half expected that the young Monkeys had wings like its parent.

"I hope not," the adult Monkey answered. "Flying can be convenient but growing these wings was painful."

While the Monkey tried to figure out how to bring his infants to safety, Fiyero wandered around the room, which was actually a laboratory. The smell of formaldehyde and the presence of dissecting tools all over the lab made him feel a little uneasy. He did not want to imagine what would happen to the infants if he and their father came in too late.

One of the walls of the laboratory held a large window.

"What's in there?" Fiyero asked to no one in particular as he walked towards the glass panel.

"Don't come near that, human! If I'm not mistaken, we're not far from the main reactor. They say that a huge mass of beryllite is in there," the Monkey warned him.

Fiyero flinched a little but continued cautiously to peer through the window.

The Monkey, at the other side of the room, took a peek through the door and saw that the hallway was clear.

"Let's move. We should get out of here before they catch us," he told Fiyero. He could not help but notice that his human companion seemed to be frozen in his place. "Human, are you okay?"

"I think I'll stay here a bit longer" was Fiyero's reply.

"What?!"

"There's something else I must do here," he said. He kneeled in front of the Monkey and patted its head. "If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't get in here. Thanks, pal."

The Monkey jerked away from the human's hand. "What are you talking about? We must run! We'll be dead if they find us here!"

Fiyero shook his head as if he was trying to snap back to reality. "Right. Of course. I owe you so much. I'll make sure you and your children will come out of here safely." His expression became more serious as he continued. "But after that, I must stay back and get Elphaba out of here."


	16. 14

After clearing the way out for the Monkey and its children, Fiyero returned into the chamber the plant personnel referred to as the main reactor. They say that there was beryllite in the chamber but he saw nothing that resembled it – unless beryllite was actually a human female whose skin has the color of emeralds.

He searched for a switch or even a dent or a crack from which he could get her out of the tubular tank that contained her. There was a nearby control panel, which he inspected, but he hesitated to push a button. With his fists, he tried to crack open the tank but it did not even budge. Frustrated, Fiyero leaned onto the tank's transparent wall and looked at the person inside with an expression that seemed to ask her to open her eyes.

"Elphaba…"

The green girl only remained unconscious. In the past five years of her disappearance, she must have been there all along, kept hidden from the world and exploited by the Wizard and his minions for her power. Fiyero clenched his fists upon realizing this. Once again, he tried to break the wall that kept them apart.

"Argh!" He gasped in pain and rubbed his reddened fist.

"Oh! Fancy meeting you here, Captain," a female voice greeted him from behind.

Fiyero turned around and stood his ground as he watched the woman approach him. The woman was holding a book, which is, according to the description he heard from Glinda, the Grimmerie.

"Morrible!"

From the captain of the guards, her eyes lingered onto the tank behind him. "Ah, that thing was made from a very durable material the Wizard calls as poly(methyl methacrylate)." She walked towards the control panel and placed her book on a nearby table. "It can withstand the worst of Quadling Country's earthquakes. Amazifying, isn't it?"

He took a step back and adopted a defensive stance.

Ignoring his deathly stare, she continued. "That's poly(methyl metha… Oh, who am I kidding? I almost forgot who I was talking to. You wouldn't remember it anyway. No offense, but…"

"What did you do to her?" he interjected.

She shrugged. "I abide by the Wizard's promise to the people. I simply do what is bestest for Oz. Don't worry, Captain. I'm sure she'll be thrillified to know that she has been a great help to the people."

"So the beryllite has been Elphaba all along," he concluded grimly.

Morrible mockingly clapped her hands. "I have to hand it to you, Captain. You've really gotten smarter over the years. And to evade the memory-altering spell, you must be really something." Fiyero gulped, confirming his and Glinda's suspicion that Morrible was behind their friend's disappearance. "Now that it's all out in the open, the best option for you is to stick with us. The Wizard has his eyes on you, after all. I shouldn't be telling you this but he was the one who personally recommended you for promotion. Besides, if you ask me, I'd say you make a better ally than…"

"You've been using Glinda for your selfish ambitions!" he interrupted. "How dare you abuse her innocence!"

"Oh, you make it sound so bad. We give her what she wanted so badly. And she lets us. You should be happy for her! You should be happy for both of your friends!" She plastered a smile on her heavily made-up face. "What we do is not just for us but for the good of Oz. We only intend to separate the rebellious and undeserving. Those who side with us, we unify."

Fiyero clenched his fists. He felt sick listening to such words.

"Anyway, you've been with us for the past three years. See?" she continued. "It's not like you're going to change sides. We're just giving you a… What does the Wizard call it? Oh. Upgrade. Yes, an upgrade. So, what do you say?"

Fiyero almost automatically uttered his answer. "No."

Morrible chuckled. "Ah. I'd be careful with my words if I were you. But since you'll make a valuable ally, I'll pretend I didn't hear that and ask again. Will you…?"

He cut her off. "There's no need for that. My answer remains the same. I'm not the Wizard's puppet anymore!"

Her fake smile was quickly replaced by a stern expression. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Morrible nimbly grabbed a wand from her sleeve and used it to summon a ball of energy. At the peak of the ball's expansion, she randomly pointed the wand to her right. In an instant, the ball turned into a beam, which destroyed almost everything in its path. She intended to give the former captain of the guards an idea of how powerful was the enemy he was making.

Outside, the workers in the plant felt vibrations from the main reactor so some of them rushed towards the chamber to see what was causing the tremors. To Fiyero's surprise, however, Morrible blocked all doors, windows, holes and crevices on the chamber's walls where anyone can enter from the outside.

"They'll just intervene. I can finish this quickly," Morrible explained. Fiyero braced himself in a fighting stance. "I must say I'm impressed you got here without anyone noticing. That's good. No one has to know that you died here, too."

The old sorceress summoned her magic and aimed at Fiyero, who, somehow, fared well. Although he did not have magical powers, his reflexes were at least good enough for evading Morrible's spells. He dodged the beams aimed at him by running, jumping and hiding behind various structures in the chamber.

"Even until the end, you continue to amazify me, Tiggular. But I'm afraid you wouldn't last long by just escaping. Why don't you just come out and face your destiny like a man!"

Fiyero knew she was right. Even in his younger years in Shiz, running away had been his specialty because he thought it was the easiest thing to do. But he also knew he cannot just run forever. There will come a time when the problems he escaped in the past will accumulate, come after him later and eat him whole.

True enough, he managed to get some cuts and burns from the spells he was unable to evade. His body was already getting tired and shaky but he barely managed to come close to his enemy. In a while, he could get killed. Worse, he might not be able to get Elphaba to safety before that happens.

It did not take long before Morrible found Fiyero amidst the ruins, crouched at the other side of the tank that contained Elphaba.

"It appears as if you have given up," she said. Fiyero sensed that she was slightly panting as she spoke. "But I applaudify you for putting up a good fight. Ah, it's been years since I had a good exercise! For that I'll give you a chance to say your prayers." She pointed her wand to his head. "Any last words?"

Fiyero looked around the room thoughtfully and only saw destroyed equipment and broken tanks similar to that of Elphaba. Morrible cannot help but feel a tinge of irritation because her speech seemed to have little effect on him. Nonetheless, she kept her proud stance knowing that there was no way for him to escape his death sentence.

"What happens to Elphaba when she is taken out of the tank?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Odd choice for last words of someone who is dying." She shrugged. "But you're leaving this place for good, anyway. She will live. We take her out of her tube from time to time for check up. Still works fine."

"I see," was his only answer. He did not anymore voice out his anger for their treating her like a lifeless machine.

"Alright, enough. It was nice chatting with you," Morrible said. Once again, she conjured a ball of energy at the tip of her wand. "But I think it's now time to say goodbye."

Blast.

Morrible was sure the energy she summoned was just enough to kill one person. Nonetheless, she waited for the light and smoke to subside. She sighed, predicting that she would have a lot to repair later. Thanks to the beryllite, her magical powers have increased exponentially so a few repairs would not really be much of a burden to her.

When the view was cleared, Morrible's eyes widened. The tube that contained the beryllite was destroyed and there was no sign of Elphaba or Fiyero.

Her fists clenched when she looked behind her. She saw an unconscious Elphaba, wrapped in the lab suit Fiyero wore, in the former captain's arms. Fiyero did not even look back as they escaped through one of the holes accidentally created by Morrible's magic.

"Whoa! What happened here?" an engineer asked, his head sticking out of another hole to check out the main reactor. Some other plant personnel members, most of them still half asleep, also came to find out what was causing vibrations in nearby areas.

"Y- You indolent fools! Sleeping while the beryllite is being stolen!" Morrible shouted in anger, passing the blame to her underlings.

"W- wha-?"

She sighed impatiently. "Gah! What are you waiting for? The thief is on the run! Get him!"

The more aware plant employees started to mobilize. Some of them searched the nooks and crannies of the power plant while the others looked outside.

Morrible watched the people as they scoured the area. They looked as if they were in a mouse hunt. In no time, the whole place looked like a mess.

Frustrated, she banged her fists on the wall. It was only then when she noticed how wrinkled her hands were. She was sure they were not like that just a while ago. From her reflection on the window, she saw that her hair turned back to its white color five years ago. She could only shout in infuriation.

Meanwhile, Fiyero ran as fast as he can away from the power plant. Now that he got Elphaba out of the Wizard and Morrible's hands, he would give his life to stop them from getting her back. With the wounds on his arms and legs that kept opening and bleeding after his every move, it must be just willpower and adrenalin that kept him moving.

"Fiyero!" a voice called him from behind. "Hop on!"

"Helios!" Fiyero called back and sighed in relief. He expertly jumped onto the running Horse and mounted himself and Elphaba onto its back. "Let's get out of this place. We must hurry!"

"We wouldn't have to hurry if we go through a path they will not take." The Horse took a different turn into a path covered by trees and slowed down.

"What are you talking about, Helios? Morrible wouldn't let her search parties stop until they get Elphaba back." Fiyero instinctively held Elphaba more tightly. "I won't let them take her! We must leave quickly!"

"I know that, Fiyero. Just calm down, okay? It's just that, in case you didn't notice, your blood is starting to stain my fur."

Fiyero looked down and found that his Horse's torso was almost covered in his blood.

"Oh" was all he could say. He looked at Elphaba and wiped off the smears of his blood on her face.

"You're bleeding to death. We must stop somewhere so you can temporarily dress your wounds," Helios suggested. "I don't want to go around looking like I'm carrying two dead human bodies, you know."

They ended up on a forest clearing a good distance and height away from the power plant. They chose to rest there while they can. Fiyero laid Elphaba gently against a tree and sat beside her while his Horse folded its legs and rested on the snowy ground.

While Fiyero covered his wounds with the strips of bandage and clothes Helios was able to salvage from the guards' barracks, drops of water fell on his head. He looked above and only saw some foliage with an almost-sunrise sky as the background.

"Is it raining?" he asked no one in particular.

"Nope," Helios answered. "It's just melted snow falling from the trees."

"Oh." Fiyero looked towards the snow-laden path they crossed not long ago. "What happens when all of the snow covering Quadling Country melts?"

"I don't want to imagine." Helios stood up. "I guess we should hurry after all."


	17. 15

After several days of frequent hailstorms, the weather seemed to have calmed down. The air became milder and warmer. A few drops of rain fell gently onto the grounds of Rush Margins in Munchkinland. The people started to come out of their houses again. One could have mistaken this day as one typical but warmer happy morning.

Glinda stayed silent and thoughtful as she travelled toward Munchkinland. Since her college days in Shiz, she always wanted to stay for some time in Elphaba's house for a sleepover. Due to their busy schedules and Elphaba's reluctance, they never had the chance to do that. Glinda could not believe that this rare opportunity to visit her best friend's hometown was for a funeral.

People came in and went from the Thropp mansion to pay their last respects to the former governor and to express their condolences for his remaining family member. After battling with his five-year affliction, Frexspar Thropp left Oz with a peaceful smile on his face.

He left all of his possessions to his daughter, Nessarose, including his position as the governor of Munchkinland. After her graduation from Shiz, Nessa started sharing some of her father's governor tasks both to serve as her training for her future position and to lessen the burden of her father whose health was then declining.

Now that the governor has died, the responsibility of governing Munchkinland has been bestowed totally onto Nessarose Thropp.

Glinda could imagine the stress her best friend's sister must be undergoing. As the new governor, Nessa must immediately attend to the needs of her people. She did not even have enough time to grieve.

The first thing she thought to do was to find Nessa and see if she was all right. Clad in black garments, Glinda fell in line with the other mourners to pay respect and get a last look at Frexspar's face.

"Glinda?"

Her eyes widened as she turned to the lady who called her. "Nessa!" She ran towards Nessa and gave her a friendly hug. "Oh, Nessa, I'm so sorry for what happened." She let the young Thropp go and looked at her face. "How are you feeling?"

Nessa smiled. "I'm fine. Just a bit sad," she replied. True enough, Glinda can still see some traces of dark circles around the young lady's eyes. "But I'm happy to see you again Glinda! It's been a while. Father and I were unable to attend the annual meeting in the palace. How are you?"

"Oh, yeah. I didn't see you there… Ooh! Remember Fiyero? I saw his father. I never thought he was so handsome!" The two ladies giggled.

After Glinda paid her respect to Frex, she and Nessa continued their conversation as they made their way to Nessa's office inside the mansion. Some servants brought them tea and crackers to snack on while they caught up with each other.

Suddenly, Glinda realized she was way off her personal mission, which was to comfort Nessa.

"Um, Nessa, Are you sure you're all right?" she asked. While travelling to Munchkinland, she actually expected to see a heavily sobbing Nessarose at the funeral.

"Yes, I am," Nessa replied, looking towards the afternoon sun through the window. "It's painful, though, losing the one who looked after and believed in you. I never felt so alone…"

The feeling after losing Elphaba came back to Glinda. If it were not for her friends, especially Fiyero, she might have gone insane back then.

"But I'm glad," Nessa continued. "The Unnamed God has bestowed his mercy and forgiveness unto father. They are together now. And, perhaps, with my sister, Elphaba."

Glinda looked at Nessa with wide eyes and a hopeful smile. "Nessa! Elphaba… Do you remember her now? I thought…"

"I remember you mentioned her once or twice in Shiz."

"You two came together to Shiz, Nessa. Elphaba and I were roommates. Remember our first day at school? Our classmates… The commotion…"

"I- I don't recall," the young Thropp replied sadly. "Father only told me her name and showed me a few washed-out pictures and letters. No matter how detailed father's stories were, I still can't remember anything…"

Glinda remembered that time in the OzDust when Morrible gave her a training wand due to Elphaba's insistence. Eventually, the young sorcerer learned that Elphaba did that as thanks for allowing Nessa to have her fun night in the OzDust with Boq. She also remembered those moments when Elphaba set aside her studies or skipped meals only to attend to her younger sister's needs. How could Nessa ever forget the one who looked after her as if she was her own daughter? Glinda's heart ached, making her want to shout at Nessa and cry.

But what good would it do to insist something to a person who would not understand? She did not think it was Nessa's choice to lose her memories of her sister, anyway.

"Can you tell me something about her?" Nessa asked, taking Glinda out of her reverie. "I was told about her and mother, and how we grew up together… and her complexion. Perhaps you could tell me more."

A hopeful smile crept onto Glinda's face. There might be a chance for the siblings to start all over and build a real sisterly relationship, after all. Perhaps Nessa only needed some proper introduction, which Glinda can provide. Of course, she would have to find Elphaba first for that to happen but she thought she might as well do what she can for now.

"Sure," Glinda answered enthusiastically.

* * *

"Oh! Y- you're back!" was all the Wizard can say as he watched Morrible walk hastily towards his desk in his office. With her disheveled and wrinkled appearance, he thought she looked fifty years older. "Are you… Are you alright?"

She banged her fist against the Wizard's table. "Where is Glinda?"

"I uh… well… the father of a friend of hers died so she went to Munchkinland. I gave her a two-week leave. After all, the conference must have exhaustified her. She deserves a break."

"Two weeks? Argh!" Morrible wiped her face irritably. "Why do I have to do everything on my own?" She left the office with a loud bang of the door.

With minimal preparation, she proceeded to the balcony of the palace to make an announcement.

"Citizens of Oz!"

People gathered in front of the palace. Teachers and students went out of their classrooms while business owners temporarily closed shop and joined their patrons and some passersby in listening to the announcement. Recently it had been Glinda the Good who stood at the balcony and delivered speeches on the Wizard's behalf. People wondered what was so important or urgent that Madame Morrible had to appear to the public, instead of Glinda.

"There is an enemy that must be found and captured! Believe nothing he says. He's evil. Responsible for the disappearance of our precious beryllite! His face is but a mask that covers his twisted nature. This treasonist... this larcener... this... this thief!"

Gasps of shock and horror were heard from the audience. Without the beryllite, they will have no power and will be vulnerable to the cold weather. Moreover, Fiyero Tiggular, their trusted protector of peace and order, has just been declared an enemy. Even the Wizard did not know how to react to this.

"He really did that?" the Wizard asked later, when he and Morrible were discussing matters in his office.

Morrible only gave him a sarcastic look as an answer to the question he had already asked several times that evening.

"Well…" The Wizard held his chin in thought. "That gives us one enemy. I guess we'll just have to get someone to catch him for us and our problem's solved. We'll be the heroes. The people will look up at us again."

"That would have been easy if he weren't your best warrior. I bet no one in Oz could beat him in a game of tag or hide and seek."

"You're right. He's the perfect combination of strength and agility. Back home, he could have easily won an event in the Olympics."

An idea suddenly came to Morrible. "Of course!" A sinister smile crept on her face. The Wizard looked at Morrible intently, curiosity written all over his face. "If no one in Oz can capture him, perhaps someone from your world can."


	18. 16

The scattered heavy rains all over Oz were not enough to quench the wildfire of the news about the disappearance of the beryllite.

A few days since then, electricity declined and the weather patterns had become, for the lack of a better term, weird. Consequently, some of the biggest industries in Gilikin Country and Emerald City had to temporarily shut their systems down. Most people had to wait for morning for their activities to move on.

Nessarose Thropp, the new governor of Munchkin Country, had dealt with the problem fairly well given that she had, so far, just a few days of experience as leader of the state. Since most of the snow in Munchkinland has melted, she ordered some of her people to reopen their old watermills, which, until five years ago, were one of the Munchkins' means of generating power.

Glinda, on the other hand, could not care less about city people's complaints about the loss of nightlife or about the weather being too warm or too rainy to their liking. What concerned her most was that Fiyero Tiggular was the traitor and thief who stole the beryllite. She just could not believe that he would do such crime. But, then again, Morrible was the primary witness for the case. Knowing the old sorceress, Glinda did not really know what to believe. The last letter she received from Fiyero was the one he last wrote in Qhoyre so she had no idea what could have possibly happened in the Quadling Kells.

"I'm so sorry, Nessa," Glinda said in the middle of her and Nessa's conversation over coffee. "I intended to come here to be your comfort while grieving for your father's passing. But look at us. It looks like I'm the one who needed comfort. Oh, I'm such a mess!" She half laughed and half cried.

"It's fine, Glinda," Nessa replied gently. "You've helped me pick up Munchkinland's pieces. Not to mention enchanting these shoes." She pointed to her ruby slippers, which enable her to walk without aid.

Glinda smiled. "I got the spell from Elphaba's old notes. Well, it originally wasn't what it is now since we were still freshmen when she wrote this. I added a few little tweaks of my own. Too bad, it wasn't the shade I really wanted. I hope most of your clothes do not clash with ruby." She handed a notebook to Nessa and opened it to a marked page.

Nessa gaped. "This is…"

The blonde sorcerer blushed. "It's um… yeah, it's, uh, actually her journal," she admitted shyly.

The young Thropp laughed. She tried reading the particular entry on the page Glinda dog-eared.

"She was working on this on the side when we were in Shiz," the blonde continued. "First thing she did after a few Basic Sorcery lessons."

Nessa frowned at the page she intended to read. "I- I can't read it, Glinda. It's all scribbles to me."

"Huh?" Glinda checked the item again. "I can read it just fine."

"That's strange," Nessa commented. "Just like what father showed me before he died. I cannot read any of my sister's writings."

The ladies suddenly heard a knock at the door.

"Miss Nes- Governor!" a messenger called as he entered the governor's office. "There's an accident! A house fell onto the mill in Illswater."

"What?" Nessa and Glinda asked. Confusion and surprise were evident in their faces.

"A house erm… fell onto the mill," the messenger replied shyly upon realizing how ridiculous his sentence sounded. "The damage is severe, Ma'am. The men are still figuring out how to remove the house so they can start the repair."

"Nessa? Are you alright?" Glinda asked, noticing how pale the young governor's face had become.

"Are you sure it's in Illswater?" Nessa asked the messenger.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Oh my. I should go!"

"Huh?" was all Glinda could say in her confusion while watching Nessa gathering a few things and preparing to leave as fast as her enchanted shoes could allow her. "Nessa, wait!"

* * *

Inside what was left of the storehouse near the Illswater mill, Boq moaned in pain as he tried to stand up against the weight on his back. Not long ago, he was just peacefully inspecting the facility like he usually does every now and then. In a blink of an eye, he ended up flat on the floor in the midst of wood, bricks and sawdust.

"Eek!" a girl's voice shrieked. Boq was equally taken aback, if it was possible in his position.

The girl quickly jumped off Boq's back upon noticing him. "I'm so sorry!"

Finally free from the weight that prevented him from breathing, Boq stood up and hungrily inhaled some air. It would have been satisfying if the air were not carrying too much dust. He only ended up coughing out the air he gulped in.

Feeling guilty, the girl tried to soothe Boq by patting his back a few times. "Oh, I'm very very sorry, sir."

"It's okay," he replied in an unsteady voice.

He tried to stand straight and focused his eyes on to the girl whose appearance was quite foreign to him. She was wearing a dress, which mostly had a blue-and-white checkered pattern. Her auburn hair was parted into two pigtails. Based on his estimate, she was probably ten to twelve years old.

"I don't think I've seen you around these places," Boq said after a few more coughing fits. "What's your name? Where are your parents?"

Their conversation was interrupted when a little dog bit and pulled the hem of Boq's pants.

"Hey!"

"Toto, stop!" the girl told the dog. The dog released Boq and obediently obeyed its master. She gathered the furry creature in her arms.

"My name is Dorothy," the girl started. "And this is Toto." The dog barked in affirmation.

"Boq!" a voice from the outside called out.

Recognizing Nessa's voice, Boq shoved some pieces of wood out of his way to an exit. "Nessa! How'd you…? You're running!"

Nessa ran towards the Munchkin lad. "Oh, Boq, are you alright? Are you hurt? Glinda and I came here as soon as we heard…"

Everything else became a blur to Boq when his eyes landed on the beautiful blonde who seemed to be walking towards him. Oblivious to the others, he remained mostly spaced out while Nessa and Glinda talked to the new girl, Dorothy.

"Kansas? I've never heard of such place," Nessa commented after listening to Dorothy's story. "I'm pretty sure Munchkin Country is the only farmland in Oz."

Dorothy sobbed upon realizing that she was possibly lost in another world. "I want to go home!"

Glinda gently patted the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, little one. We'll help you find your way home."

"Maybe… maybe the Wizard of Oz can help you," Boq suddenly butted in, to the girls' surprise.

Glinda did not know exactly how to react to that. She does not fully trust the Wizard but he was the only other person she knew who came from another world.

"W- Wizard?" Dorothy involuntarily hugged her dog tighter.

"Oh, yes, of course," Nessa affirmed. "But the Emerald City is not a short distance away from here, Boq. It looks pretty dangerous to travel especially now that the weather is not yet stable. Storms have been plaguing Oz randomly these days."

"Ooh! We can bring her with us when my chauffeur picks me up," Glinda offered. "At least we'll have a carriage roof to protect us in case it rains."

The girl's eyes brightened. "You're… you're going to help me?"

"Why, of course, dear. Glinda the Good and her friends are always ready to help those in need!" was Glinda's confident reply.

"That's a good idea, Glinda." Nessa interjected. "But, for now, I guess we should all go to my place for shelter. Looks like a rain is about to start again."

With that, Nessa, Glinda, Boq, Dorothy and Toto walked towards the Munchkin governor's house.

Glinda walked a little slower, thinking about this new quest.

_I'm sorry, Elphie. Fiyero's gone and here's this little girl who lost her way home. I want to help them. Please wait for me. I'll still look for you._

"Glinda?" Nessa called out. "Are you alright?"

Glinda was taken out of her reverie. She shook her head and focused on her companions who were then a few steps ahead of her. Bracing herself for a new adventure, she breathed in.

"Yes, I'm coming! Wait for me!"


	19. 17

A green grand carriage arrived outside the governor's house in Munchkinland early in the next morning. Dorothy and her companions woke up promptly to prepare themselves and a few things that might be essential for their trip.

"Nessa, are you sure you won't come with us?" Glinda asked as they stood near the house's front door.

"I would love to, Glinda, but I can't leave Munchkinland now that we're still recovering from the recent calamities," Nessa replied. "Send me a message as soon as you get settled in Emerald City."

"We will. And we expect you to write to us, too."

Nessa laughed. "I'll try."

All faces turned to the servant who came in with Nessarose's wheelchair. Nessa sat on the chair and thanked the servant, who left once her task was done. Boq and Glinda wore confused looks while they watched the governor remove her shoes.

"Dorothy?"

"Yes, Miss Nessa?"

"These shoes were charmed by the best sorcerers I know," Nessa said, referring to the spell's creator and caster, Elphaba and Glinda. "Take it, Dorothy. You will be treading an uncertain path so you need it more than I do."

"Whoa, Nessa, don't worry about Dorothy. Glinda and I will protect her." Boq interjected. "I know how much those shoes mean to you… especially now that Master Frexspar has…"

"Father's memories are a better memento than these shoes, Boq. It's because of Father's support that I have been able to function despite my condition." She smiled reflectively. "And don't worry about me. I won't go to far. And I've lived years sitting on a chair, it wouldn't be so different. Here, Dorothy."

Dorothy gratefully took the enchanted shoes and hugged the young governor. "Thank you, Miss Nessa!"

The farm girl was sure, however, that Nessa, being much older and taller than her, had larger feet. Nonetheless, she slipped her feet into the shoes. To everyone's surprise, the shoes magically shrunk to fit the girl's feet. Dorothy, Boq, Nessa and Glinda oohed in chorus.

The journey from Munchkinland to Emerald City through the yellow-brick road was mostly silent. On her way to slumber, Dorothy gently patted the dog on her lap. Glinda tried to finish reading some of the paper work she took with her from work but failed. Boq looked outside the window while giving Glinda a few glances from time to time. He sighed internally, feeling like a schoolboy who was too shy to talk with his childhood crush.

Little did he know about what was going on in the mind of the particular girl of interest.

"Um. Boq?" Glinda started. "It's Boq, right?"

Boq's heart rate soared. "Y- yes, Miss Glinda?"

Glinda slightly blushed, hesitating to ask a question that had been bothering her since she and Boq met again in Munchkinland. "I had known this Munchkin boy in Shiz. He doesn't seem to have a good taste when it comes to fashion. His clothes never match. And he stutters a lot…"

Boq wanted to disappear as Glinda described his appearance when he was a college boy in Shiz. He could not believe how shameless he had been.

"…I've been thinking about him lately…"

He suddenly forgot the insulting things she just said about him. Her voice saying that she spares a thought for him was like music to his ears.

"…Because you two look awfully alike. Do you know Bick?"

A ton of imaginary bricks fell on his head. An imaginary lightning bolt struck his heart. He jumped off from an imaginary skyscraper causing his body to imaginarily shatter into pieces. How could he, more mature than he was in his college days, allow himself to get his hopes too high?

"His name is Boq, Miss Glinda" was his dejected answer.

"Oh." It was only a few tick tocks later when she was able to process his statement. But not necessarily in a way some people would process it. "Oh! You changed your name too? Me, too!"

Boq swept his hair back with his hand, disguising a face-palm. "I did, did I?"

* * *

The group arrived in Emerald City uneventfully. Glinda went back to her apartment while Boq stayed at a relative's house together with Dorothy and Toto.

As the head of state, the Wizard of Oz had a lot of things listed in his schedule. Fortunately for Dorothy, she had the Wizard's press secretary on her side. Glinda arranged the Wizard's schedule so the girl can meet with him six days after their arrival.

"Wow! It's so… huge!" Dorothy, standing at the front gate of the Emerald Palace, marveled at the huge emerald building.

Even Boq was in awe of what stood a few steps from them. He had been in Oz all his life but he rarely went to the Emerald City. The Emerald Palace was something he only usually saw on postcards, newspapers and magazines.

"Halt!" a palace guard at the front gate commanded as the Boq and Dorothy approached the gate. "Identify yourselves and state your purpose."

"Good morning, Sir," Boq started. "Miss Dorothy, here, has an appointment with the Wizard at ten o' clock today. Please let her in."

"Dorothy… Dorothy…," the guard mumbled as he scanned his records. "Oh, there she is. Please proceed to the lobby and wait to be escorted to the Wizard's office. His Ozness is a very busy man."

"Alright. Thanks."

It was not just the exterior of the palace that looked charming. Plush couches and a furry carpet welcomed Boq, Dorothy and Toto in the reception area. Large glass windows covered with green and gold drapes and paintings and photographs of the main attractions in Emerald City decorated the walls. A huge chandelier made of glass and emeralds seemed to float at the center of the room.

What they have seen so far was the lobby, which was already a beautiful sight. One could expect to see more in the rest of the palace. Boq thought that Glinda was very much suitable to this kind of life. On the other hand, he, a simple man from Munchkinland, felt so out of place.

"Hey Boq! What does the Wizard look like?" Dorothy asked the Munchkin lad, taking him out of his reverie.

"Actually…" He tried to think of a good answer. "…I don't know."

"Huh? I'm pretty sure he appears on newspapers often. In America, pictures of the president are posted everywhere so everyone knows him."

"Oh, that's interesting," Boq commented. "The Wizard doesn't show himself to the public very much. Usually his viziers or Miss Glinda, his press secretary, represents him in public events."

Dorothy sat back and pressed her chin with her fingers, in thought.

"Nervous?" Boq asked.

"A little," the girl answered.

"They say he's good. He's like a father to every citizen of Oz," he said, partly as a consolation. "His subordinates say that he hardly shows himself to people because he works very hard. Since he took the throne, technology in Oz has developed rapidly. I'm pretty sure he can give you at least something that can help you go home."

"I hope so."

The two chattered while Toto curiously roamed around the room, sniffing things. Finding something at corner of the room, the dog sniffed and barked at a mechanical device that produces a sound that resembles that of a ticking clock.

Meanwhile in the Wizard's office, the Wizard and Madame Morrible watched their new visitors through the old sorcerer's magic box.

"Ah, so this is our hero from the other world," the Wizard said. "Wonderful! Wonderful! She even found her way to the palace."

"Hero? Oh, look at her! She will tremble at the sight of the Ozhead. How can we expect her to capture our thief?" Morrible muttered disappointedly. "I even had to take some strong bitter herbs to recover the energy I spent for that spell. Ugh! What a waste!"

The Wizard took off his glasses and narrowed his eyes to the girl shown by the magic box. "Hmm. She's no Olympian, all right." He sighed calmly. "I guess we just have to bear with what we have."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one risking your life force here."

Morrible glanced on the magic box once more and noticed the shoes Dorothy was wearing. Somehow, they looked familiar.

"Woof!"

"What is it, Toto?" Dorothy asked while looking towards the direction the dog was facing. "Oh, it's Miss Glinda!"

"Hello Dorothy! Hello Boq!" Glinda greeted while petting the dog. "Nessa's letter just came in. Dorothy, I'm sure you would like to read this."

"Of course!"

"Miss Dorothy Gale!" a palace guard called out. "Miss Dor- Oh. Miss Glinda. Good morning, your Goodness. I'm here to escort Miss Dorothy Gale to the Wizard."

"Ooh! That's nice. Please accompany her as well to my office later after her talk with the Wizard." Glinda told him. The guard nodded. "Boq and I will wait for you in my office. We'll see you later, then, Dorothy."

"Good luck, kid!" Boq added.

"Thank you, Miss Glinda! Thank you, Boq!"

After watching the interesting interaction between the girl and her former students, Morrible's lips curved into a sinister smile.


	20. 18

**Shoutout to Quite Impossible to Describe and The Wizard of Wicked, who have graced my reviews page with their presence. Thank you for the lovely reviews!**

**And many thanks to everyone reading this story, especially woodland59. ****More chapters on the way :)**

* * *

"_I'd like to help you, dear, but it's impossible right now. We need beryllite. Unfortunately, it is now in the hands of a thief, who is still on the run. Well, if you could help us capture the thief, we would appreciate it. I might be even able to help you."_

"He really said that?" Glinda asked incredulously after Dorothy narrated what the Wizard said earlier. She did not want Fiyero to be caught by the Wizard but she did not want to abandon Dorothy either. And who in the right mind would ask a helpless little girl to go after a thief?

Dorothy nodded sadly. "The Wizard said that even his best warriors couldn't catch the thief. Oh, Miss Glinda, I don't' know what to do!" She threw herself in the good sorcerer's embrace and sobbed.

"There, there. Please stay strong, Dorothy. We'll think of something," Glinda said, but more to herself. Her mind seemed blank as she thought of some way to go around their situation.

Silence.

"Um. Miss Glinda," Boq tried to break the dead air. He hesitated but spoke out his question anyway. "Is it true that the beryllite thief is Fiyero?"

He and Dorothy focused their eyes on Glinda, who wore a thoughtful expression – Boq was simply curious about the answer to his question while Dorothy was simply clueless.

"I don't know, Boq," Glinda answered sadly. "That's what Madame Morrible said but…"

"Horrible Morrible?"

The two laughed at their old nickname for the former Sorcery professor in their days in Shiz. The conversation took a sharp turn to their happy college days. Being a Sorcery student, Glinda had a huge dose of bloopers with their old professor. Boq, despite being a nerdy and diligent student back then, had his fair share. Dorothy had no idea what they were talking about.

"Well, if it's really true…" Boq continued from where the conversation left off. "…Then maybe, just _maybe_, there's a good reason he did so… I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do anything that will cause harm to Miss Glinda."

Glinda's eyes sparkled. "You're right, Boq! Oh, how could I have ever doubted him?"

Boq knew that Glinda and Fiyero were not a couple anymore but he could not help but feel a very small tinge of envy towards Fiyero, who was not even there. Nonetheless, he truly wanted to help her out.

"I wish there were some way to find him so I can speak to him personally…" she mused.

"I wish there were something I can do to help…" Dorothy said in a soft voice, just so her companions knew she was still there. Glinda responded with a gentle smile.

"That's it!" Boq exclaimed as an idea came into his mind. "Maybe we should, like the Wizard said, look for Fiyero after all."

"So, um, Fiyero is the thief the Wizard wants me to capture?" Dorothy asked, unsure if she was catching up with the conversation correctly.

Glinda did a good job restraining her self from reacting violently to another person who just labeled Fiyero a thief.

Boq sensed her reaction, but he chose to respond tentatively with a nod. "We must find him before anyone else does. That way, we would learn the truth from Fiyero, himself. Maybe we could even save him from trouble if he's really innocent."

"Oh, Boq, that's a very good idea. You're so smart!" Glinda smiled brightly at the Munchkin.

Boq blushed and was rendered speechless.

"I uh… I guess all we can do now is wait for the Gale Force to locate him again. We can start from there, Dorothy," he suggested when his larynx regained strength to function again.

"But how can I get to him?" Dorothy asked. "The Wizard said his soldiers found him a few times already but they were unable to capture him. I'm not strong, fast or talented with magic…"

"Ooh!" Glinda exclaimed as she thought of something. "We don't need to catch him. If he sees me, I'm sure he wouldn't run away."

"But, Miss Glinda, I don't suppose you can leave the palace so easily," Boq commented. "It might be too obvious if you suddenly disappear. They will easily discover our plan. Anyway, Dorothy has Nessa's shoes. Or you can give her something Fiyero can easily recognize."

"You're right," Glinda replied dejectedly. "But someone must accompany Dorothy. If Fiyero is hiding from the Gale Force, then he must be hiding very well. Maybe in a forest or in a desert. It's dangerous."

"Yes, of course. If only we could ask someone we could trust…"

Dorothy felt a bit relieved knowing that neither Boq nor Glinda would let her venture into Oz alone.

Another wave of silence.

"Boq!" Glinda started. "You're a capable man and we trust you, so um… maybe… maybe you can accompany Dorothy in looking for Fiyero!"

"W- wha-?" Boq did not exactly know how to react to that. "I uh… I have work back in Illswater. And Nessa…"

"Don't worry about Nessa, Boq. I'm sure she'll understand," Glinda reasoned. "Please, Boq. Dorothy will need someone to guide and protect her in her journey. You're the only one I can trust on this."

How could Boq ever say no to those beautiful azure eyes that expresses hope and trust in him?

* * *

In some far-flung area in Oz, Fiyero awoke from what felt like a short nap. As sunlight passed through the slits between his eyelids, he lifted his head from the shoulder of Elphaba, who was still unconscious.

"Morning, kid. Slept well?" Helios greeted his rider.

Fiyero stretched his limbs and yawned loudly. "Where are we?"

"In Glikkus. We're near the Gilikin border," the Horse answered. "I took a little detour to avoid the crowd of people at the Glikkus entry point. Anyway, we'll be in the Great Gilikin Forest pretty soon."

"Good." Fiyero adjusted his and Elphaba's position on the Horse. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three days. You were out cold shortly after our close encounter with the Gale Force in the Corn Basket."

"I see." He looked at his Horse's back and legs and saw a significant amount of gashes, rope burns and other signs of struggle. "You must be tired now, Helios. Maybe we should stop for a while."

"Tired, yes, but we're not in a good place to stop. We should avoid getting caught again like last time. We have one more train track to cross along the way. After that, we could probably sit down to rest"

Fiyero tried to argue but he thought again. Their current location did not look very far from the Glikkus train station. It serves mainly as a trade center, meaning there are probably many people there. From afar, they could even see one or two civilians passing by. To some extent, it was almost the same scene as the last time they were pursued by the Gale Force.

"I'm sorry" was all he could say.

"Psh! Don't be so glum, kid," Helios said, trying to cheer Fiyero up. "We're alive and the damsel is safe in your arms."

The young man sighed. "I just can't let them lay a finger on her again. And I don't want you to get hurt on my behalf."

Helios snorted. "Well that's just impossible. You don't exactly make the best judgments often so you always need me to watch your back," he joked.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy," Fiyero replied cynically, but he laughed along. He was simply glad to have his trusted steed with him, especially now that he was in very deep trouble.

Also, he wondered how Elphaba could have reacted to being treated like a damsel in distress if she were awake. As far as he could remember, she was the strong, independent type and was not particularly fond of receiving help even from her friends. Perhaps she would prefer to fight side by side with him than be protected. He could already imagine her hexing her enemies or punching them in the face.

But, for now, she was peacefully sleeping in his arms.

"Wake up, my fair maiden," he challenged her silently. "Or you'll just have to bear with being my damsel."


	21. 19

**Late post, sorry! It's been crazy around here with work and school and all that shiz.**

**Thank you, The Wizard of Wicked, Happy Fae, woodland59 and Quite Impossible to Describe, for the reviews for the previous chapter :)**

* * *

"'Corn Basket'?" Boq read incredulously from the newspaper in his hands as he sat down with Glinda and Dorothy in his aunt's place. "Fiyero was in Munchkinland, and not far from Nessa's place. I can't believe how close we could've been!"

"But that was five days ago, Boq. Nessa's right. He probably won't stay there," Glinda replied, referring to what Nessa said in her latest letter. "And we wouldn't even think of coming after Fiyero if we didn't come here in Emerald City."

"Um. Yeah. Of course," he said as he tried to recollect his thoughts.

While Boq and Glinda were discussing, Dorothy was studying the map of Oz that was laid across their table.

"Ah! So we're now in the middle of Oz, in Emerald City!" the girl excitedly said upon realizing it.

"Yes, Dorothy," Glinda answered. "We met you here in Munchkin Country, then we traveled along the Yellow Brick Road," she continued, pointing to a random place in the eastern area in the map then tracing along the yellow line that represented the particular path.

"Actually we came from here," Boq corrected, pointing to a place further in the east called Colwen Grounds. "That is where Nessa lives."

"Oh."

"And Corn Basket is here," he continued, drawing imaginary circles around the area on the map. "This where the news reports say that the Gale Force last found Fiyero. He escaped, though. Fortunately. We should get to him before they do."

Dorothy sighed.

"So where could he have gone now?" Glinda asked herself out loud. "He couldn't stay in Munchkinland now, right?"

"Yep," Boq agreed. "Although I'm sure he'll have a tough time getting out of Munchkinland, too. The security at the borders would most probably be tightened."

"What's in Glikkus?" Dorothy asked, pointing to the area on the map above Munchkinland.

"Gold mines? I don't know much about that place, too," Boq replied.

"Nessa says she thinks he's gone north to the Scalps in Glikkus or northwest to the Madeleins and eventually to the Great Gilikin Forest," Glinda said. "What do you guys think?"

"While there are more people in Gilikin than in Glikkus, there are actually more miners in the Scalps than adventurers in the Gilikin forest. It'd be a good place to hide. I'd say Great Gilikin Forest," he answered. "Besides, I think it's easier to trek a forest than to climb a mountain."

* * *

In the next few days, Boq and Dorothy prepared for their journey to the Great Gilikin Forest. Glinda helped them whenever she found free time in her workdays, except in the last day before the duo's departure, which she chose to spend with someone else.

A lot has happened in the past few months. As events unfolded, Glinda had questions that she would dare ask only to her mentor, who was, back then, resting and preparing for the delivery of her baby. Glinda looked forward for this meeting with Lily.

"So you're saying that it's not just you and Fiyero. Frexspar Thropp also remembered Elphaba," Lily said, picking up from Glinda's story on what Nessa told her in Munchkinland. Glinda nodded. "But, unlike the two of you, Frexspar didn't have the charm." She paused to think of a possible explanation. "Maybe Elphaba gave him one. As a gift or something. He's her father, after all."

Glinda thought about it for a moment, but she shook her head. "They weren't exactly in good terms with each other. And I remember Elphaba and Nessa both saying that he never liked magic, so it's not likely that he has a charm of any sort. He might just get angry with Elphie if she gives him one," Glinda replied.

"What if it wasn't created by Elphaba?" the teacher tried again. "What if it came as a gift from someone else? He was governor, after all."

"I don't think so," the younger sorcerer answered. "Even the Wizard doesn't send magical items to him. When he sends gifts to the leaders of Oz, we make sure about the ones for the former governor. He's known to almost all of Oz to be a devout Unionist."

"Uh-huh. And, if it was really because of a charm, it should be a really powerful one, too. Enough to repel a Grimmerie spell, not something that you can just buy across the street." Lily recalled her friends working as magical craftsmen and their major projects in the past five years. "We rarely make such items in Quasicrystals. I'm pretty sure other enchanters and wandsmiths do, too. It's not that easy to get charms of that caliber. Such a charm could have only been made through a very very special request. Top secret, if I may add, or it could have caused a buzz among magical craftsmen."

The younger sorceress nodded.

"Besides," Lily continued. "Not many people can use spells from the Grimmerie. Why would anyone need such protection?"

Suddenly, Glinda remembered one event that she had never told anyone. In a hushed voice, she told Lily about her little trip to the Tower of Magic up to the part where she magically ended up in her room.

"I didn't know how but I just found myself there. And then… You told me that dispel charms are for one use only, right? But my silver chain felt strangely warm that time, as if it worked. Here it is. But it looks busted now." She retrieved the blackened piece of jewelry from her purse and handed it to her teacher.

Lily examined the chain closely. It was heavily damaged, probably because the spell that it tried to repel was very powerful – Morrible was the caster, after all. She felt no trace of dispelling power left in the item.

She sighed. "I wish we tested this chain long ago. How could I have missed that?"

"Hmm?"

"See, if we only knew if the charm was still working before Morrible hexed you, we would know if it was really the cause of your teleportation away from the place of harm," the teacher explained. "And if it did…" Her eyes widened in realization. "We can conclude that it wasn't the charm that prevented you and Fiyero from forgetting Elphaba,"

Glinda swallowed as she tried to take in everything that was said.

"If it is so… well…" Lily continued. "We can feel a little relieved for Fiyero, if he's wearing his chain, because he'll at least be safe from one spell. A Morrible-level spell, even."

Worry was evident in the young lady's face. Lily did not fail to notice this.

"Think about it this way, Glinda." Lily started, putting on a motherly smile. "You didn't need charms to protect you from the Grimmerie spell. Maybe it was friendship. Or trust, or hate, or love. Whatever it is, it's more powerful than charms. If it's capable of protecting you, then maybe it can also reunite you with your friends. Who knows?"

Glinda smiled a little. "I hope so."

Both women took a sip from their coffee cups.

"You were with Elphaba when she disappeared, right?" Lily asked.

Glinda nodded, recalling how she helplessly stood there in the palace while Elphaba battled against Morrible. "I wish I could go back in time. I wish I thought more about my friend than myself."

Lily chuckled. "We only live once, dear. Can't change what already happened. It is up to us to take it as a curse or a blessing. We can always dwell on our past mistakes or move on and learn from them," she commented. "Now I wonder what Frexspar and Fiyero were doing at exactly the same time."

"Fiyero? Skipping class, perhaps."

They laughed.

But Glinda remembered that, by that time, Fiyero had been distant, moodified and always thinking. She mentally calculated how long they had further been in college by that time, trying to remember what classes they were attending.

"Or maybe not." Glinda held her chin in thought. "He had a history class and a life sciences class in that term. He was probably there."

Lily simply nodded, trying to get something from Glinda's input.

"And Frexspar, well..." Glinda paused to think of an answer, but her thoughts swayed to those rare moments she was able to persuade Elphaba to confide with her. "Actually, he didn't want Elphie to go to Emerald City."

"Really? Why?"

"He sent her to Shiz so she could take care of her sister, Nessa." Glinda sighed, remembering how sad Elphaba felt when she almost lost her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, guiltily half wishing that, given the present circumstances, she did. "At least Nessa was happy for her sister upon receiving the news. I remember her writing to her father, hoping he would let Elphie meet the Wizard."

"Tsk. You were all in different places. And doing nothing in common."

"Breathing? Ooh! How about standing?"

Lily snorted. "Okay, let's see. You were standing. But Fiyero was probably sitting rather than standing. Taking notes or sleeping in class would be easier for someone sitting on a chair, you know." They chuckled. "And Frexspar. He's a governor, right? Paper works. Most likely sitting, too."

Laughing, Glinda pretended to be hurt. "Hmp!"

* * *

Glinda sighed with relief as she lay on her bed late in the evening. Although her questions were not directly answered, she was nonetheless happy to be able to bond again with her good friend. No matter how hurtful they sometimes can be, she found comfort in Lily's words of wisdom.

She couldn't help but think about what she, Fiyero and Frexspar were possibly doing when Elphaba disappeared. On the surface, they did not seem to have anything in common but now that she was alone drowning in her own thoughts, she could come up with a thousand crazy ideas.

One of which is that they were all thinking of Elphaba. Frexspar could possibly be reading Nessa's letter by that time. The letter would mention Elphaba's name, of course. Glinda, who, as she said, helplessly stood there in the Emerald Palace, was also sobbing, torn between staying in the safe side and helping her best friend who was in combat with one of the best sorcerers in Oz.

Fiyero, however, was the stumbling block in her theory. Although they had an awkward but almost-tender moment outside the train to Emerald City five years ago, Fiyero and Elphaba were not very close. They even disagreed over many things. Glinda found it unlikely that Fiyero would think of Elphaba.

_Unless I missed something…_

Glinda yawned tiredly and realized it was past midnight. She closed her eyes and quickly fell into deep slumber.


	22. 20

"_In the name of his supreme Ozness, open the door!" a guard shouted while he and the other guards tried to break the door open._

"_Step aside."_

_A gust of wind flew towards the door, pushing aside anything or anyone in its path. The buffeted guards looked at the source of the wind only to find the Wizard's press secretary, Madame Morrible._

"_Not enough," Morrible muttered distastefully, looking at the small scratches on the door brought about by the wind. "I said step aside! Get out of here if you want to live!" she shouted to the guards who were still within her casting range. The guards scrambled away for their lives._

_Once the path was clear, she uttered an incantation for summoning a stronger gust. It was enough to shatter the door into pieces._

_Using her strong but relatively novice spell-casting skill, Elphaba deflected the remaining impact of the wind._

_Morrible did not fail to notice the green girl's stunt. "So you've heard my incantation and copied it. Smart move. Powerful, too. Truth be told, you have exceeded my expectations. You always did," the old sorceress commented. "Still, I would give up now, if I were you." She conjured a fireball with a quick flick of her wand._

_Elphaba became aware of her disadvantage. Although the intensity of the spells she can cast were strong, the more experienced Morrible can easily counter them with another from her vast inventory of spells. Nonetheless, she stood her ground, putting on a determined face while silently thinking of how and when to cast the spell that only she could cast – the levitation spell. _

_The green girl wasted no time. While Morrible was too preoccupied by trying to attack her, she used telekinesis to use the tools and weapons in the room to setup a trap._

"_Argh!" the old sorceress cried when she was pinned onto the wall by some spears and chains. "You're not getting away with this, witch!"_

_With Morrible out of the way, Elphaba uttered the incantation for the levitation spell. However, Morrible was not about to give up; she used her magic to repel the weapons that bound her. W__ith much effort, Morrible was able to free herself from the makeshift trap. By that time, Elphaba was just halfway finished with her incantation._

_At the same time, the young witch was distracted by a sound, which was similar to that of a ticking of a clock, coming from some mechanical device._

"_Elphaba Thropp, I give you salutations for putting up a good fight. You should know by now, however, that this match is mine. But before this ends, know that I am deeply saddened to lose a gifted student such as you. So, now, goodbye!"_

_Unable to evade the old sorceress' powerful spell, Elphaba closed her eyes in anticipation for the piercing lightning that descended from the sky._

"Elphaba! Please wake up, Elphaba!"

Five years seemed like just a spur of moment. Elphaba opened her eyes only to find herself face to face with the source of the voice that stirred her from deep sleep. It was almost the same handsome face she remembered from her days in Shiz, except for some unshaved facial hair and the worried expression he now wore.

Relief washed Fiyero's worried expression away, but he did not fully relax yet. Seeing Elphaba in her almost-drugged state was far from the reunion he had been imagining. Nonetheless, he was glad she was alive and free from the enemy's clutches. Unable to contain his emotions, he pulled her into an embrace.

The cold weather had not yet completely subsided, especially in the Great Gilikin Forest. Their cabin and makeshift beddings provided little help but since his embrace was Elphaba's first contact with human flesh after several years, the warmth overwhelmed her. Her mind raced but her body remained frozen – she tried to speak, but her lips merely quivered. Whether she wanted to push him away or return his embrace, she was not sure; what was certain was she did not wish to stay still. For an audacious person like her, it must have been frustrating that allowing tears to flow from her eyes was the only thing she could do.


	23. 21

Like what they have been doing every now and then for the past two weeks, Boq and Dorothy were scouring the Great Gilikin Forest. Every time they return to the forest, they try to search new grounds.

"Halt!" a voice from afar shouted. Dorothy, Toto and Boq stopped in their tracks.

The source of the voice, along with his company, ran towards them. Dressed in their complete uniform, Boq and Dorothy immediately knew that they were members of the Gale Force.

"Good afternoon, Sir, Ma'am," the leader greeted them, while showing his Gale Force badge. "I advise that you don't go any further. It's dangerous and it'll get dark soon."

Dorothy was about to protest when Boq subtly stopped her. "Alright. Thank you for your concern, officer. We were actually on our way back to the city," he replied, hoping they could avoid further questioning.

"Great. We shall escort you, then."

Boq and Dorothy looked at each other and sighed before following the officer. Toto, however, stayed where he stood and gnarled at some nearby bush.

"Woof!"

"What is it, Toto?" Dorothy ran towards the dog to pick it up.

"Dorothy, we must go. The officer is waiting," Boq whispered to the girl.

"Woof! Woof!"

Dorothy nodded and gently lifted the dog from the ground. Toto allowed her but its eyes remained fixed to the bush.

In their next attempt, the duo, along with Toto, went to the forest earlier than usual to hopefully avoid the Gale Force, this time. They passed the point where the officers found them last time without much ruckus. With the coast clear and no one stopping them, they walked on. But Toto remained on the spot, once again staring at the same bush.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Sshh! Toto, someone might hear us," Dorothy gently told the dog.

"Grr…"

To settle this problem, Boq picked up a long twig and slowly moved towards the bush. He closed his eyes and looked away as he tried to poke with his stick whatever is hiding behind the bush. Toto instinctively ran and hid behind Dorothy.

Poke.

No response.

Boq poked his stick again into the bush a few more times. He felt as if the object or creature was moving away. Gaining a little courage, he walked towards the bush and shoved it a bit, only to find what appeared to be a shivering pile of fur.

"Huh?" He looked at the creature quizzically. "It looks like a lion."

"It's scared," Dorothy said. She walked toward the poor creature and patted it gently. "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you."

The lion, which was actually a Lion, looked at her incredulously. "No! You're going to send me to the Gale Force!"

"Please calm down, Mister Lion. We won't do that! We're only…"

"Sshh!" Boq gestured for his companions to keep silent. They heard some movements not far away.

The Lion once again cowered behind the bush. "Oh no! They're gonna get me! I'm gonna die! No!"

Dorothy tried her best to soothe the shivering creature. "No, you're not. We won't let them get you."

The Animal choked back some tears. "Really?"

"They're coming," Boq warned in a hushed tone. "Dorothy, see that cave over there? You all go ahead and wait for me there."

She nodded before slowly and silently moving towards her destination. It did not take long for Dorothy, Toto and the Lion to get into the cave, where they watched Boq trying to distract the Gale Force officers with some small talk.

In no time, they were all together in the cave, sitting beside each other and sharing stories.

"I was like 'Roar!' Then I was like 'GRROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!' Then I was like 'Rawr!' Hahahaha! We did it! We're so great!" Brrr, the Lion narrated.

"He he he. Yeah, you were so… brave," Dorothy said, trying and failing to match his level of enthusiasm.

"Now since you've helped me escape certain death, what can this humble king of the Great Gilikin Forest do for his newfound friends?" Brrr offered.

"We were looking for something. Someone, actually. Do you think you can help us find him?"

Dorothy told a little of her story to Brrr. Boq hesitated at first, but he eventually joined the conversation and described Fiyero's appearance to the Lion, hoping he had seen him somewhere.

"Oh!" Brrr replied. "He's the one who carries a lady with him all the time!"

Dorothy blushed.

Boq rolled his eyes. "That could be him," he muttered.

"W- wait a minute!" Brrr narrowed his eyes on Boq. "Are you trying to get him captured? Are you spies? Huh? Huh?" The Lion stood on two feet, pumping his paws like fists in an attempt to look threatening.

"Woah, woah. Calm down," Boq interjected. "We are friends. Fiyero and I were classmates in college."

"That doesn't make you any more trustable!" Brrr huffed arrogantly.

Boq sighed. "Look, buddy. It seems that you already know he's being hunted down by the Wizard's troops. That's exactly why we wanted to find him. We want to know his side first. I'm pretty sure he did what he did for a reason." He almost dropped Glinda's name to convince the Lion that they can be trusted but he decided against it. "And you've seen how I tried to distract the Gale Force officer earlier so you guys can escape. We're not one of them. C'mon, give us some credit for that!"

Brrr eventually bought their story and led the group to a structure that resembled a cottage. The path they took was very tedious to tread. Luckily, they had the Lion to lead them – at least, with his guidance, the quicksands, mudslides and other natural booby traps along the way surprised them less.

"He stays in that cabin," the Lion explained once the said cabin was in the view.

Dorothy's heart thumped faster. This may be it. _We're finally getting the beryllite. The Wizard will be able to send me home._

Tentatively, they hid themselves among the bushes outside the cabin. After all, they were not sure how Fiyero would react if he saw them. Boq hoped his former classmate would recognize him and won't cause harm to any of them.

Minutes passed but the group was still hiding behind the bushes. For some reason they cannot put a finger on, it seemed like no one among them was brave enough to step up and take the lead.

"Woof! Woof!" Toto wiggled its tail and ran excitedly after a group of fluttering butterflies.

Dorothy gasped when she saw Toto running to the direction of the cabin. "Oh no! Toto, stop!"

But the dog seemed oblivious to its master's pleas. He continued running until he was outside the cabin's door, eliciting a collective gasp from behind the bushes.

Losing interest with the butterflies, which flew away too fast for the dog's liking, Toto studied the door next. It sniffed and pounced at the wooden structure. The door swung open in response. Instinctively, the dog tried to gauge the cabin by its smell. Finding no harm, it continued its perusal inside the structure.

Dorothy stood up to chase after her dog. Boq and Brrr followed suit.

Lo and behold, the cabin contained nothing if Toto were not there.

After roaming around, the dog sat down in the middle of the room and looked at the newcomers with its head tilted slightly. "Woof?"

"Huh? I'm pretty sure I saw them here just yesterday." Brrr scratched his head in thought. "I'm sure. I brought them some newspapers from Brox in the morning."

"Are you sure this is the right cabin?" Boq asked. "Maybe there's another one here in the forest."

"I told them to come to this place so I could watch over them" was Brrr's nonchalant answer.

_Seriously, could the cowardly Lion really fend off the Gale Force officers?_ Dorothy and Boq looked at each other and shrugged.

"Wait. So Fiyero's got company?" Boq tried to clarify later.

"Yep. A Horse and a lady. The same girl he was with when he saved me five years ago," the Lion answered confidently. "Or was it four years? Or six? Five and a half?"

* * *

"Wow, we've come so close," Glinda commented after Boq and Dorothy, upon their return to Emerald City, told her about their findings in the Gilikin forest. "Again."

"Exactly." Boq grabbed his glass of water, took a gulp and placed the glass back to the table a little too roughly. Dorothy giggled. "What?"

"You look like someone drinking beer," Dorothy answered.

Glinda laughed. Boq blushed.

"At least we got some information, Boq. You guys did great!" Glinda said.

Boq smiled slightly, and then sighed. "But we lost track of him. If he isn't in the Great Gilikin Forest, I don't know where else he would go. If he goes anywhere less ideal for hiding, he will be spotted by the Gale Force again. Next time, he might not escape."

Glinda suddenly remembered something from Boq's story. "Boq, did you say that Fiyero has company?"

"Yeah. The Lion told us that Fiyero is with a lady and a Horse," he answered. "And this lady… He said that she was also with Fiyero when he saved him five years ago. The Lion was in a cage, but she and Fiyero freed him."

Both paused to think.

"Five years ago. We were still in Shiz back then, so…" For a few seconds, Glinda seemed frozen in thought.

"Miss Glinda?" Boq waved his hands in front of Glinda's face.

"Sorry, Boq. I just um… remembered something," was all she could say. She looked around and saw Dorothy who seemed to be thinking deeply. "Dorothy, are you okay?"

"I um…" Dorothy paused, but Boq and Glinda nodded, encouraging her to continue. "Since we don't know where to find Fiyero next, I just think… well… No, I think it's crazy." She shook her head.

"Come on, Dorothy. Tell us," Glinda told the girl, smiling.

Gaining some confidence, Dorothy continued. "I just thought that… What if he went somewhere? Not a hiding place but… What if he went home?"

Glinda and Boq looked at each other.

Dorothy blushed. "I know it's kinda stupid but…"

Glinda held the girl's hands in delight. "No, Dorothy! You're a genius!"

"Yep. It may be unlikely for everyone else but…" Boq retrieved a map from his bag and laid it on the table. He pointed to a particular area with the label "Kiamo Ko." Dorothy did not fail to notice the mountains surrounding the area. "For someone from the Vinkus, it might be a good option. The Great Kells and Kumbricia's Pass virtually separates Vinkus from the rest of Oz."

But they were not the only ones who came up with such idea.


	24. 22

**The Wizard of Wicked LOL! We'll get there... before the story ends :)**

* * *

The sound of the Vinkun king's fists banging against the table resonated throughout the castle in Kiamo Ko.

"I've told you before and I'm saying it again. We don't need your money or your military assistance. Give me a detailed description of the beryllite and we will cooperate," Njord Tiggular said in a calm but deathly cold voice. "Is that too hard for you to understand?"

The three Gale Force members he was talking to looked at each other, looking for the appropriate words that would not elicit the reaction they just got from the king.

"We will… um… ask permission from His Ozness," one of them said. "Thank you for your time, Your Majesty. We shall return. And... um... the Wizard send his condolences." They bowed and walked out of the throne room.

Njord sighed as he sat down on his chair.

"They never really get it, don't they?" one of the king's ministers commented. "Our proposal is quite logical. Not only will it make it easier to find Prince Fiyero, or whoever the culprit is, but it will also help us prove his innocence or guilt."

"You're right, Minister Alfr," Njord told the minister. "But as one saying goes, even the truth cannot be explained to someone who refuses to listen. Anyway, if they return…" Too tired to say anything, he stood up and sighed. "I shall return to my quarters. Alfr, take charge."

Everyone in the room was dumbfounded, especially the current youngest minister who has just been assigned to take rest of the king's tasks for the day.

For the nth time that day, Njord sighed as he looked at the family portrait in his room. He stared at the face of his wife, who had always been beautiful even until her death seventeen days ago due to an illness worsened by the cold weather. He thanked his subordinates for being considerate, giving him time to mourn; but as leader of his nation, he knew he had to gather his emotions together so he can focus on his duties. It was never easy – his heart still found it hard to keep itself together whenever she crosses his mind. It took some time for him to really look at the face of his daughter with her painfully striking resemblance with her mother.

He focused his eyes next on his son, Fiyero. _Quite the handsome boy he has become. Just like me in my younger years. And mischievous, too._ How he almost magically became diligent and responsible in his few years in Shiz was still a mystery.

The other big mystery to Njord Tiggular now is how and why Fiyero got himself into this beryllite mayhem.

* * *

Boq, Dorothy and their new companion, Brrr, continued their search in the Great Gilikin Forest hoping they might find Fiyero in another part of the forest or even just come across some clues. They decided to stay in Gilikin before the weekend and meet Glinda there on one of her free days so she can bring them to Vinkus using her giant bubble.

Inspired by the effort of her friends, Glinda had been diligently studying and practicing her magic. She spent some of her time in one of the practice rooms in the Tower of Magic.

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

Glinda uncharacteristically growled as she cast a powerful spell that she had been studying recently. In no time, the mannequins in the room were trapped in ice. The room was almost covered with snow.

"More," she muttered as she caused the ice and snow to disappear and prepared to cast the spell again.

Her mind lingered to the things they found out from her friends' journey in the forest. Fiyero has company. Apparently, together, they saved Brrr when he was still a Lion Cub.

Among other things, Glinda remembered one time in Shiz when she skipped a Life Sciences class. It was the first day they were supposed to meet Doctor Nikdik, the replacement teacher for Doctor Dillamond. She never knew exactly what happened but she heard that everyone in the class, including the teacher, was found in their classroom in a delirious state. Everyone, except Fiyero and Elphaba.

Glinda realized that it was after that incident when Fiyero started acting so distant and moodified. That time, she also found Elphaba in deep thought very often – well, more often than usual. She recalled herself constantly complaining about their unusual behavior, but never suspected any connection between them.

She sighed sadly. _They are my closest friends. Why didn't I even bother asking what they were thinking?_

Losing her concentration, her incantation stopped. Consequently, the ball of energy concentrated at the head of her scepter expanded prematurely, pushing her aback. She lost her footing and fell onto the floor.

She also remembered asking herself if it were possible that Fiyero was thinking of Elphaba. Perhaps, based from her recent thoughts, her little theory seemed possible after all.

At first, Glinda felt betrayed. By that time, Fiyero was still dating her. _All this time, behind my back?_ Her grip around the scepter tightened. _How dare him think of someone else! He should only be thinking about me!_ She clenched her free fist and banged it on the cold floor.

"Oww!" She gently blew and rubbed the sore spot on her hand.

But the thought also made her feel sad. Though at different times, they were both her best friends after all. _How could I have missed the possibility of…_

Glinda breathed in, picked up her wand and stood up. She held the scepter with two hands and positioned herself in a stance before reciting the incantation.

_Fiyero, Elphie, wherever you are, please be safe._

* * *

"Ah, I'm so tired! Being king for a day is no fun at all!" Alfr said as he stretched his limbs after a day of hard work. "I swear! I'll do my best to find Fiyero and prove his innocence so you won't have to suffer like I did!"

Except for the sound of the icy wind, there was silence.

Regretting his joke, he playfully bumped his companion's shoulder. "Hey, I was just kidding, okay? It'll all be alright, I promise. We'll find him in no time. And your mother promised she'll be watching over us."

Silence.

"Um. Hey. Freya, are you okay? Please speak up! You're scaring me!"

Taken out of her reverie, Freya shook her head and tried to smile. "I'm sorry, Alf. Father is trying to stay strong but I know, deep inside, he's still hurting. And thank you for helping him out."

"I understand," he replied. "Are you sure you're all right by yourself? It's getting dark anyway, I can…"

"I'll be fine, Alfr," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Um. Okay."

They walked silently until they reached the crossroads.

"See you tomorrow, Princess." Alfr took the princess' hand and kissed it. "If you ever need someone to talk to, a crying shoulder or..."

Freya chuckled. "I know, Alf. Thank you."

He smiled. "Take care."

"You, too."

The two parted ways. It did not take long before Freya reached her destination – her mother's garden and now graveyard.

While her father's way of coping involves prayer and quiet time in his quarters or in a private place, Freya preferred recalling memories with her mother by talking about her and looking at old photographs and letters. This time, she chose to spend some time where she last saw her mother's face.

Before entering the gate, Freya looked over the fence and noticed a cloaked figure standing in front of the grave. She pulled out a small knife from her sleeve and tiptoed stealthily into the garden.

Unable to identify her mother's suspicious visitors, she placed herself somewhere where she could see the visitor's face without him noticing her. From her new location, she found out that there were actually two cloaked figures. _Are they hugging?_ She moved a little closer.

The creature beside them seemed to be looking for something. It did not take long before its eyes met Freya's.

"Princess!" a familiar voice uttered.

"Helios?" Freya looked around before getting out of her hiding place and ran with silent footsteps towards the Horse. "It is you!" she said gladly as she held the Horse's head. Dusting off some snow from its head, she noticed some cuts and wounds on its neck. "What happened to you, Helios? Where's my brother?"

Helios gestured for Freya to follow him. The cloaked figures stood up and looked at the Horse's new companion.

Freya gasped as she recognized one of them. "Oh, Oz!"

Fiyero silently thanked Elphaba, who wiped his long-overdue tears for the death of his mother. As the big brother to his baby sister, he tried to be sober so he could look at Freya straight in the eye.

In his slightly shaky voice, he called her. "Reya?"

A tear smoothly slid down the princess' cheek. "Yero!"


	25. 23

Fiyero woke up early in the morning in Alfr's guestroom. He remembered Freya bringing him and Elphaba there last night. She chose this place rather than the castle so it would be easier for them to hide in case someone comes after them.

Even after months without decent food and shelter, the comfort given by the bed Fiyero had risen from remained unnoticed because the first thing he did was look for Elphaba. He did not even hear Alfr knocking on his door.

"Yero? I'm coming in," Alfr said before entering the room. "Morning."

"Alfr! Where's Elphaba?"

"She's with Freya," he answered. "Oh, hey, we should hurry. Freya and I managed to arrange a secret meeting with the king. We only have two hours. Here, put these on." He threw a set of clean clothes to Fiyero. "It'll be a breakfast meeting. We'll go to the castle once you're done. I'll give you a briefing on our way."

"Y- Yes, Sir!"

"Oh. And um... I did mention that this would be a secret meeting, right?" Fiyero nodded. Alfr held him at his shoulders and looked at him intently like a big brother giving an advice. "You are considered a criminal, Fiyero Tiggular. You already know that…"

"Alfr, it's not…"

Alfr raised his hand to stop him. "But you haven't said your piece yet. You know how things work with your father. We abide by the law. That is why, while you're here in Vinkus, we… I won't allow you to be sent to Emerald City's Southstairs without a fight. But when the ministers decide, whether you're guilty or not, neither I nor your father have the power to object with the verdict."

Fiyero gulped.

Alfr placed his arm over Fiyero's shoulder. "We've been friends and almost-brothers for the longest time, Fiyero, so you know that I believe you. As your good friend, all I ask is for you to tell us everything and answer our questions honestly. You got that?"

"Yes. I will."

"All right." Alfr patted Fiyero's back. "Now, go shower. You stink."

* * *

Instead of entering through the castle's grand entrance doors, Alfr and Fiyero used a secret passageway to get to the king's private quarters.

Fiyero swallowed hard as the door to his father came into view. In the past, he had been summoned by his father numerous times for undesirable reasons but never was he this nervous.

The passageway led to a door that was hidden among the bookshelves in the king's reading room. They took a few more steps to get to the small dining area, where they found the king seated at the head of the table.

"Fiyero?"

Startled by the familiar female voice that called his name, Fiyero laid his eyes on its source. From those past months he spent together with Elphaba, Fiyero, perhaps, had become so accustomed to her presence. He felt so worried when he woke up without seeing her. For the first time that day, the prince smiled. He did not even wonder what she was doing there with the king.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Alfr greeted, while subtly elbowing Fiyero. In response, the younger man also bowed to his father.

"Pleasant morning, my sons," Njord replied. "Breakfast is splendid. Go and help yourselves."

Fiyero was about to take the seat beside Elphaba when Freya came in with her breakfast plate.

"Morning, Yero! Morning, Alf!" she greeted as she took her brother's fancied seat.

Alfr almost automatically claimed the seat opposite to Freya, so Fiyero had no choice but to sit between Alfr and the king. Across the table, his eyes met Elphaba, who gave him a small smile. In response, Fiyero grinned absent-mindedly.

In the first few minutes, they mostly talked about Vinkus and, to Fiyero's dismay, the younger years of the Tiggular children. To add to his dread, he discovered that his father and the ladies were talking about him before he and Alfr came. They also talked a little about their mother. To Freya's delight, her father was openly talking about his wife again. Aside from asking questions about his mother, Fiyero was mostly silent, trying to steal glances from Elphaba.

"Oh! Um. Excuse us, gentlemen," Freya interjected some minutes later, when she and Elphaba were done with their breakfast. "It's almost time for Elphaba's checkup. We shall go ahead." She stood up and kissed her father on the cheek.

"All right, dear," he replied. "Elphaba, it was nice meeting you. Please join us again soon."

Elphaba nodded and said her thanks before leaving the room with Freya.

For a few tick-tocks, Fiyero's eyes remained fixed on the door through which the ladies exited.

"Fiyero! Hey!" Alfr elbowed the young Tiggular.

"Oww! Alfr, you didn't have to do that!" Fiyero rubbed the sore spot at his side.

"I had to. You were obviously too smitten to participate in our conversation!"

"No, I'm not!"

Njord failed to suppress his laughter. "Ah, sibling fights, just like in the old days. Only now's about a girl-friend. My children have grown quickly, I see."

Alfr and Njord laughed. Fiyero blushed furiously.

"Ha ha. Thank you for the warm welcome, my dear family," Fiyero said sarcastically.

They laughed.

As the laughter subsided, Njord cleared his throat. "So, tell me about her."

Fiyero did not fail notice the slight change in his father's tone. With an approving nod from Alfr, he narrated what he knew about Elphaba. He started from their days in Shiz, including truncated versions of how they met, how they were introduced to each other, how they freed the Lion Cub from a cage, how she got to Emerald City and how he found her in the Power Plant in Quadling after five years.

Alfr's eyes widened as he took the information in. "Wait a minute. She's not your girlfriend? I have to hand it to her. She's smart. She doesn't easily fall for _the_ Prince Fiyero," he teased.

"Hey! We're not supposed to be talking about that!" Fiyero punched Alfr's arm while his face burned crimson-red.

The two young men bickered against each other playfully as the king pondered on the information he recently obtained from Fiyero's story.

"It makes sense," Njord interjected in a tone that subtly told the two young men to stop fooling around and resume the discussion of more pressing matters. Fiyero and Alfr obeyed and gave full attention to their elder. The father narrowed his eyes onto his son. "You haven't admitted your feelings to her, that's why you're acting that way when she's around."

Fiyero's palm flew to his face. "Ugh. Father, not you, too!"

Njord and Alfr laughed heartily.

"So," the king started again in a serious tone. "It's been Elphaba all along who was the power source of Oz for the past five years. In other words, the beryllite is actually Elphaba," he said, trying to clarify if he grasped the story correctly.

Fiyero nodded.

"Then, technically, you did steal the beryllite. This is more complicated than I thought."

"She's not beryllite, father. She's human!" Fiyero protested. "They kept a human being in captivity and used her to fuel their machines. The welfare of Oz is important, yes, but to sacrifice one human life for that? Don't you think there's something wrong there?"

"That's exactly what makes it complicated," Alfr intervened.

"That's true. I, too, find what you did noble, Yero. If I were you, I might have done the same thing," Njord explained. "But, again, you technically stole the beryllite. Witnesses in the power plant could easily file a case against you. As I see it now, the law is on their side."

The three men silently pondered about what had been said so far in this meeting. Fiyero slouched on his seat, discouraged by how the conversation had turned out.

"Fiyero has a point, though," Alfr restarted the conversation. "Elphaba is not beryllite. According to the descriptions by many experts, although unofficial, say that beryllite is a mineral. He didn't steal anything that resembles a mineral."

"Hmm. That's a good way of looking at the situation. Very good, Alfr," the king commented.

"I suggest we push for the release of the official data sheet for beryllite. It's standard for all newly discovered chemicals, anyway."

"It's been years since its discovery was made public but, yes, they haven't done so." Njord sighed. "From Fiyero's story, I now see why they haven't been releasing the data sheet. It does look suspicious. If beryllite isn't really a mineral... they're in trouble. All that time, they've kept a person in illegal detention. That's definitely unlawful."

Alfr nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps we should ask help from the other countries, too," Njord continued. "I've talked about this with some Gilikin dukes informally when they visited last week. If we could only arrange a formal plan of action. And then maybe there's a chance that the others would join in." He looked at the young minister. "We need to get in touch with the new Munchkin governor, too. Alfr, add these to the agenda of our meeting later."

"Yes, Sir!"

Their conversation was interrupted by the bell that signals the start of the working day in Kiamo Ko.

"Looks like our time here is up, Yero," Alfr warned. "We should go. The king has a lot to do today."

Fiyero looked distraught. "W- Wait! What do I do now?"

"Stay hidden until I say so. Expect to be summoned soon, along with Elphaba, in one of the ministers' meetings. And pray that their decision will be in your favor," Njord answered. "And go to hospital. Freya's there with Elphaba. Don't keep the lady waiting."

Fiyero blushed.

"Yero, c'mon," Alfr called. "We've used up the whole hour so we'll have to use the secret passageway again. Let's go."

"Um. Wait. Just a sec."

Quickly, Fiyero went to his father and gave him a hug. "Thank you, father. I haven't been the best son and I even caused you trouble now, but…"

"Hush!" Njord interjected, but returned the embrace. "Don't give me any more trouble by staying here. Go to her already. And don't forget to show her to your mother."

Fiyero nodded, smiling and blushing slightly, and turned back to follow Alfr.


	26. 24

**Fae the Queen, not much. Just a few snippets here and there of her and Fiyero's journey together, maybe. For five years, she had been unconscious so there's not much to tell from her point of view. Putting Glinda (and Fiyero) in the limelight, instead of Elphaba, was the challenge I took in writing this story. **

**Oh. Around 10 chapters left. Thank you, guys, for keeping up!**

* * *

Brrr held onto Dorothy and Toto very tightly as they and their companions flew over Oz in Glinda's bubbles.

"Oh Oz oh Oz oh Oz oh Oz" the Lion mumbled, terrified.

"Don't close your eyes, Brrr. You're gonna miss the view!" Dorothy told the Lion as she directed the bubble forward. "Look, a mountain! Straight ahead!"

"NOOOOO!"

Giant bubbles quickly took a sharp curve around the rock formation, barely evading it.

Boq, in another bubble, sped up to catch Glinda who was flying ahead of them. He looked at her in awe – even in a common worker's clothes, which she then used as a disguise in case anyone sees them, she looked beautiful.

"This is amazing, Glinda!" he told her when they were side by side.

"Why, thank you, Boq!" Glinda smiled cheerfully.

Boq looked ahead, subtly hiding his blush. "Look, the rock formations are getting lower," he observed. "We must be nearing the end of the Great Kells. Based on my calculations, it will take us less than half an hour to get to the Thousand Year Grasslands."

Glinda simply nodded. "Are you really sure you don't want to be dropped off in Kiamo Ko?"

"Yep," Boq quickly answered. "It's risky enough bringing you with us now. And the less people to see us land in Vinkus, the better. It would be best if no one sees us."

It did not take long before they safely landed on the grasslands. Dorothy, Toto and Brrr were obviously glad to have their feet to be once again in contact with the ground as they ran in circles playfully. For a few seconds, Glinda and Boq allowed themselves to take in their surroundings. Given a different situation, it might have been a perfect time for a picnic on the snowy grassy ground.

"Are you sure you guys are okay here?" Glinda asked once again before leaving.

"Yep. Thank you for bringing us here," Boq replied.

"I would have accompanied you to Kiamo Ko, too, you know. It would be a comfort to see that you actually arrived safely."

"We'd like that, too." Boq smiled. "But we should go on by ourselves from this point on. And you should get back, too. The sooner you get back to Emerald City, the better. We don't want anyone to discover that you have been away."

"Okay. And, Boq, thank you for going all the way with Dorothy and for standing in for me."

"Anytime."

"Oh! Um. Dorothy?" Her head turned towards the girl.

Dorothy left her playmates to run towards the sorceress. "Yes, Miss Glinda?"

"Here. Wear this. I'm sure Fiyero would easily recognize it." Glinda took off the necklace she has been wearing and passed it to Dorothy. "If ever you come across an enemy that is too strong, just think of me and I'll try to be of help."

Dorothy expressed her thanks through a hug. "Thank you, Miss Glinda. You're a good sorcerer."

To be called a good sorcerer by the young girl, Glinda felt an endearing warmth in her heart.

"Please be careful, Glinda," Boq said as they watched Glinda summon a giant bubble.

"You, too," she replied before she summoned her bubble and flew.

* * *

Fiyero sighed in relief when he learned that the Vinkun king and ministers decided to protect him. However, days passed by and, except for him being allowed to stay in the castle grounds, nothing seemed different – he still remained indoors, as advised by the ministers, so he could avoid too much public attention.

He didn't have much company, too. His father and sister had to attend to their royal duties. Alfr, as arguably the king's most trusted minister, was even busier – Fiyero felt a little guilty for adding up to the young minister's already long list of cases to deal with. Elphaba was confined in the hospital, as recommended by the Vinkun health minister, so doctors can closely monitor her health and the possible effects of her incarceration in the beryllite facility. He couldn't even get his Horse from the stable because he was still healing from the injuries he collected in their long journey.

Bored, he left his room and went into Freya's office while she was somewhere else. He wasn't expecting to find anything interesting there, but he just needed to move somehow.

He walked towards her desk and noticed how messy it was with all the papers scattered over it. Curious, he sat down on the office chair and inspected the contents of the papers. It turns out that Freya had been trying to solve a sort of a puzzle. Having nothing better to do, he looked for a pen and another sheet of paper and tried to come up with his own solution.

But he did not even last for ten minutes before he got bored again. He got up and decided to go outside to get some fresh air.

Without really thinking, his feet seemed to have led him to his mother's garden, where he saw the most interesting sight since the day he was kept inside the castle. The scene that he saw was so serene and heart-warming that he hesitated to approach and disturb it.

Unable to contain himself, he called out the main character of the particular scene. "Fae!"

The green lady turned her head at the sound of her new nickname and met the approaching man with a smile. "Fiyero."

He scrapped his thoughts earlier. Her face, complete with the slight blush on her cheeks, was the most beautiful thing he had seen so far.

"I uh… I shouldn't be here, actually," Elphaba said shyly as she tried to walk past him.

"No!" he replied too hastily. "I mean… uh… you're here and I uh… we're… my um…" He combed his hair a little roughly in frustration. "Oh, what am I saying?"

She chuckled. "Rendered speechless by my charm, huh?" she said sarcastically.

"Yes. Always," he rode on, lifting her hand to his lips. Breaking the spell, he sighed. "I haven't really spoken to anyone for days. You have no idea how glad I am to see you again!"

He noticed the dejected expression she tried to hide. "You must be so bored, then," she said.

"What do you mean?" He frowned. "For your information, Miss, you were the first person that came to mind in my time of solitude."

"Oh really?" she said cynically, trying to hide a blush.

"Yeah. Um..." He also blushed upon realizing that he might have sounded like he was flirting. "How are you feeling now? Are you well?" he asked, changing the topic.

"I'm fine, but staying in one room all day doing nothing makes me feel sick sometimes."

"I couldn't agree more!"

The two sighed.

"What was your mother like, Fiyero?" Elphaba asked, breaking the silence. Her eyes were on his mother's grave.

Fiyero looked towards the grave and felt different from the first time he did so. This time, he felt calm as he fondly remembered his moments with his family. He told Elphaba how happy his mother was when he graduated from Shiz – it took him six years, all in all, to finish college. Inevitably, the stories went towards his childhood memories, with him claiming on the side that the embarrassing stories Elphaba heard from his father and sister were not entirely true – she had to laugh at that.

Finally, he recalled the night before he left Vinkus for Emerald City when his parents were in their private quarters, talking about him. He tried to eavesdrop, but all he heard were occasional sobs. His departure felt painful as his mother bade him farewell with a smile – he knew she was just trying to be strong for him.

"And that was the last time I saw her alive." He sighed. "Not the best parting scene, I'm afraid."

Not sure how she should react, Elphaba simply touched Fiyero's arm. He covered the green hand with his brown one, appreciating her little comforting gesture.

"At least I got to spend many years with my mother. It must have been hard having no one looking after you."

Elphaba looked away, trying to hide any hint of emotion. "I got by."

"I'm glad you did." He bumped her shoulder. "But it's not too late. I wish you'd let other people take care of you, too."

Fiyero and Elphaba were sitting on the ground, laughing and talking, when they suddenly heard footsteps of someone approaching. The prince stood up, observing his surroundings while protectively covering his companion behind him.

A familiar voice followed. "Elphaba! Elphaba, where are you?"

Elphaba instinctively hid behind Fiyero, who frowned in confusion.

"Elphaba!"

"Reya?" Fiyero suddenly wondered if he did anything so wrong that his sister came to fetch him personally.

"Yero!" Freya jogged towards her brother. "Have you seen... Hey! Elphaba, there you are!" She pulled one green arm, but not roughly. "I've been looking for you all afternoon, I was so worried!"

"I'm so sorry, Freya," Elphaba replied. "I didn't mean to..."

"My, my. What happened here?" Fiyero asked, feeling out of place. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously onto Elphaba.

"I uh... kind of… snuck out of the hospital." She scratched her head and grinned sheepishly.

Fiyero chuckled. "Why, I didn't know you had it in you, Miss Elphaba. So mischievous!"

Not finding witty words to say in response, she stuck her tongue out to him.

"Okay, kids, stop fighting already," the younger Tiggular intervened. "You two get back inside! Now!"

After a momentary pause, the three laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

"C'mon, Elphaba," Freya said once they had recovered from their laughing fit. "I know it's been hard for you, too, but you have to trust us. We just want to make sure that you're in good condition and you have nothing that will harm you in the long run. All I can assure you is that we will do our best. But we need your cooperation, too."

"I understand. I'm truly sorry, Freya."

"Alright. And let's be friends, okay?"

Elphaba nodded. Two ladies grinned happily and shook hands.

"You, too, Yero." The younger lady diverted her attention to her brother, who was trying but failing to be less visible. "You have to return to the castle now. Let's go."

* * *

Njord Tiggular, especially after his wife's death, wished to spend as much time as possible with his children – including those biologically unrelated to him but he considers his, nonetheless. To the prince's delight, he was reunited with his companions that afternoon in dinner.

Elphaba had become a new addition to the family, next to Alfr, since the king found her and his daughter inseparable, especially in the past few days. Fiyero found it endearing yet strange. _They must have bonded that much, spending much time together in the hospital, huh? Perhaps I should get tips…_

"Good news, everyone!" Freya announced to the people gathered around the dinner table. All eyes and ears were on her. "Elphaba has just been cleared from the hospital! She'll be staying with us now… Right, father?"

"Of course. My children are always welcome to stay here if they want." Njord answered warmly. "I assume you've asked the servants to prepare her a room?"

"I already did, father. They've cleaned up and prepared the room next to mine."

After the dinner, the extended family lounged by the fireplace. Fiyero sought for Elphaba but found her already in a discussion with his father and Alfr. Finding nothing else to do, he tried to listen to their conversation.

"Fiyero!" his sister called him. He cringed at her slightly angry tone. "You've snuck into my room, haven't you?"

He shook his head, feigning innocence.

She fetched a paper from her pocket, unfolded it and flashed it to his face.

The prince gulped. "That's…"

"Your handwriting!" Freya shoved the paper further onto his face. "Fiyero Tiggular, you're a genius!"

He suddenly found himself being bear-hugged by the princess. "Huh? What did I do?"

"You, dear brother, have just made us an antidote."


	27. 25

**woodland59, smarter than he usually lets on, anyway.**

**The Wizard of Wicked (and everyone), what Fiyeraba? LOL ;)**

* * *

Morrible marched across the hall briskly, impatience written on her face.

_I had enough of that nitwit's petty plans! It's about time to really make things happen._

Upon entering her office, Morrible walked behind her table and unlocked her secret drawer, which, to her surprise, was empty. She banged her fists against the table when she remembered that she lost the particular item she was looking for in the ruckus at the power plant.

She paced back and forth, thinking of a different course of action. Coming up with a tentative plan, she walked out of the room. _The sooner I can find Glinda, the better._

* * *

Freya explained to Fiyero how brewing potions and designing antidotes were similar to solving a puzzle. Fiyero tried to understand the strange theory his sister was describing, in which everything material is said to be made up of tiny particles, every kind of which has it own unique microstructure.

"Woah. Where'd you get such crazy ideas?" Fiyero exaggeratedly massaged his head, which seemed to hurt from information overload.

"From that equally crazy book you stole along with the beryllite," Freya answered. "I can't even read it. Only Elphaba could. What's it called again? Cream berry? Creamery?"

"Tsk tsk." He shook a finger to her face. "Silly sister, it's called Grimberry!"

In the next day, Fiyero learned that Freya and Elphaba had indeed been spending so much time together in the hospital, particularly in its herbarium and research laboratory. They had been brewing potions.

"So my task now is to make something out of these?" Fiyero asked while staring at the papers with geometric shapes and various symbols scattered across the laboratory table. "I might be able to fit things together but they don't make sense to me."

"They don't have to. At least for now. All you have to do is solve the puzzles like you did yesterday. The rest is up to Elphaba."

As if on cue, Elphaba entered the lab. Her arms held a bunch of lemongrass bundled like a bouquet.

"I found a note at your door, Freya. Meeting with the cultural minister, I think," the green lady announced.

"Oh! Right!" Freya grabbed some papers and walked towards the door. "I'll see you, guys, at the town plaza tomorrow," she said before she left.

Two hours had passed when Fiyero stretched his limbs and yawned loudly. As much as he liked playing puzzle games, albeit secretly, his brain can only take in so much.

"Having fun?" Elphaba asked him without taking her eyes off her experiment.

He looked at her – in a lab coat, hair tied up in a loose bun – and instantly changed his mind. "Lots."

He waited for her reaction but there seemed to be none.

"What'ya doin'?" he tried again.

"Extracting plant oils," she answered simply.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What for?"

"Potions."

"Err… I mean… What kind of potions?"

"To cure Animals who lost their speech." Fiyero noticed a change in her facial expression. "To do what I should have done years ago. To help Animals like Doctor Dillamond speak again."

"Oh."

Getting some newfound inspiration, Fiyero got back to his work. Eventually he got bored again, so he decided to watch Elphaba distill oils from leaves. His eyes wandered between the experiment and the one performing the experiment and eventually decided to settle on the performer of the experiment.

"What are you staring at?" she narrowed her eyes onto Fiyero.

"The most interesting thing in this room," he answered effortlessly.

She rolled her eyes. _Was he already this cheezy in Shiz?_ "Ugh. Can't you find anything more useful to do?"

"Nope!"

"Fine." Elphaba stomped back to her workplace and collected some herbs into a basket a little too roughly. Fiyero gulped, realizing that she might just kick him out of the lab. "Here." She shoved the basket of herbs onto his hands. "Separate the leaves from the stalks and chop them finely. Fill that small container with the ground leaves."

"Uh. Sure." Fiyero took the space on the lab table opposite Elphaba's. After wearing an apron, laying the herbs onto the chopping board and obtaining a knife, he did as she said.

Just to be sure, Elphaba moved to his side of the table and watched him closely. The first thing she saw was a huge contaminant in the sample.

"A worm! Remove it!" Her eyes widened as his hand moved towards the creature to squish it. "No, no, don't kill it!"

"Okay." Using forceps, Fiyero gently lifted off the worm from the leaf and threw it out to the window.

When he returned to his workplace, he picked out a few stalks from the basket handed to him earlier.

"No, that's from a different plant," Elphaba observed. "Don't put them together," she instructed, referring to the stalks he picked and the ones currently on the chopping board.

He laid the stalks on the area at the right side of the chopping board, as he originally intended to do. "I'm not."

"We can't mix them up," she continued. "We want to know which plant oil will work as antidote. We won't know which one is effective against which if one gets contaminated by the other."

He dropped his knife onto the table and raised his hands in surrender. "Don't you think I realize that? You must think I'm really stupid or something!"

Realizing what she probably sounded like, she looked away in embarrassment. "No. Not really stupid," she replied softly.

They looked at each other and froze, both recalling their moment in with the lion cub years ago. After a few tick-tocks, they laughed, dissipating any tension in the atmosphere between them.

As their laughter faded, Fiyero sighed. "I missed you, you know? I did look forward to your return from the Emerald City back there in Shiz."

"I- I missed you, too," Elphaba said as she returned to her station on the lab table. "And Nessa. And, right now, Glinda. Everyone. I hope to see them soon."

"Me, too," he replied as he resumed his work.

After pouring some liquid into a flask with crushed leaves and fitting the vessel into the distilling set-up, she held her chin in thought. "Has it really been that long?" she asked.

He nodded.

She sighed. "I just wish…"

Concerned at her long pause, he looked at her and urged her to go on. "What?"

"I wish I didn't have to cause you so much trouble. You even had to…"

"Elphaba…"

"Don't tell me that I didn't. You don't need to lie to me."

"You really don't let other people talk, don't you?"

Elphaba playfully flung some leaves towards him, putting the two of them in another fit of laughter. "I am now fully convinced that you've missed me so much," she commented. "How many times have you been playing that scene in your head?"

Fiyero shrugged, his lips still curved in a smirk. _You have no idea._

To his disappointment, their fun and sweet moment was cut short by a knock at the door. "Your majesty, a message from Princess Freya," the nurse at the door said as she passed a folded paper to Fiyero.

"Thanks," he answered automatically. The nurse curtly nodded and left.

Fiyero's shoulders slumped as he read the message. "She wants me to join the meeting and preparations for tomorrow's Snowflower Festival."

"Snowflower?" Elphaba asked as she resumed her work. "I've always thought they only exist in literature. So there really is such thing, huh?"

"Yep," he answered. "There are some of them planted in mother's garden. That's how we generally call the flowers that bloom in winter. It's a Vinkus thing – they only thrive in these places."

"I see."

"But that's not exactly what the festival is all about," he added.

She paused her work and looked at him curiously. "Really?"

He nodded. "How people viewed this festival has changed over the years. It's mostly a romantic affair for most of us nowadays. It has become a tradition for husbands and lovers to give snowflowers to their loved ones. But there's actually more to it."

Fiyero looked through the window and watched some townspeople working together to repair a building that was damaged by a recent blizzard. "It originally celebrates the Vinkun spirit," he continued. "How Vinkus has been standing firm on its ground and thriving through the blizzards for many years. That's how father and mother had described it to Freya and I when we were kids."

"That's… beautiful."

He watched her collect the drops of plant oils from the end of her distillation set-up. The afternoon sun beautifully painted her emerald skin with pinks and yellows. "Yep."

"Um. Fiyero?"

"Yes?"

"You have a meeting, right?"

"Oh. Yes. Right. Um. Fae?"

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow's a national holiday. Any plans after the ceremony?"

"Freya said something about a bazaar in the afternoon. But I'm not sure. Why?"

Fiyero felt his cheeks flush. "I just wanted to do something nice for you and spend some quality time with you like the old times. We haven't really spent time together since we arrived in Vinkus." He paused, trying to gauge her reaction. "But we won't be running, hiding or sparring this time. We'll um… have dinner, walk around town and… you know…" The rate of his heartbeat skyrocketed. "Do things normal couples do."

"Like uh… a date?" she asked, almost whispering the last word.

"Yes, a date." He placed his hands at his back and anxiously fidgeted with them. "I can't promise to pick you up, though, since Freya and I have some special parts in the ceremony and I have a meeting with Alfr and father. But I'll stay near the fountain by eight. When you come to evening festivities at the plaza, you'll find me there."

She was about to give in but a pang of guilt hit her. "But Glinda..."

"Will approve," he interjected. "I told you we're friends. And, if she were here, I'm sure she'll be fussing over your hair and makeup. And you two will go shopping right now!" They both cringed at the thought of Glinda's early attempts to Galindafy the green girl and her pulling them to her endless shopping trips. Looking at each other's reactions, they laughed.

"But are we already allowed to be seen in public? Won't we be thrown to jail if people see us?" Elphaba asked as she started pacing.

"Freya said in her message that I'll be in the ceremony so, I think, yes. And, of course, you're allowed. You're not the fugitive among us, anyway."

She thought of other reasons why their date should not push through. A million questions flooded her brain but she lamely ended up saying "But if I don't make it by eight…"

"I'll wait for you." He grabbed her hand, effectively stopping her walking back and forth. "Five years I had waited and we're now together. What is a couple of minutes or hours compared to that? Besides, I'll wait another five or more years again if I have to. It'll be worth it as long as it's you I'm waiting for."

She thought it too sappy but, nonetheless, she smiled and giggled softly – something Fiyero didn't expect her to be doing but he found it endearing, nonetheless. He wasn't sure if she also nodded.

"Is that a yes?" he asked hopefully.

Elphaba nodded more obviously.

"Oh, this is great! Thank you, Fae!" He captured her in a hug and made her join him in a silly dance.

"Alright, I said yes, already. Now go to that meeting already before your sister gets you," she reminded him, still laughing a little and still feeling flushed.

Finally, it made him stop. "Right. I almost forgot."

"I don't know why you think this is a good idea but... Thank you, Fiyero," she said the last three words sincerely.

"No. Thank you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and, feeling ecstatic and bolder than ever, he placed a kiss on her cheek. "I can't wait for tomorrow!"


	28. 26

For the nth time, Fiyero inspected his reflection on the mirror. He was Fiyero Tiggular, known as the scandalacious Winkie prince in his college days, so he was never nervous or heavily conscious of his appearance – except now.

Early in the morning, he spent almost three hours fussing over his clothes, face, hair and the small cottage that served as his study place and secret hideout since he was ten years old. It was a gift from his grandparents on his birthday.

The idea of bringing her to his little hiding place came to him a few days ago. He secretly spent a few hours of those days in cleaning up and decorating the cabin. After sweeping the floor, removing the cobwebs, replacing some busted light bulbs, cleaning the toilet, and organizing his old books and toys into their respective shelves, the small space looked satisfyingly homey. There were only a few pieces of furniture – some stools, a couch and a small table – in the cabin so he prepared two sleeping bags, in case he and Elphaba decide to sleepover.

He blushed as he recalled a few of their moments while they were on the run in the Great Gilikin Forest. Due to the lack of materials and warmth, in most of the nights, they had to share sheets and cuddle together – _without doing anything inappropriate_, he hastily added to his thoughts. Although they had become accustomed to physical contact with each other, he decided that he would let her have her space if she would want to.

Finally, he took a last look at the most important part of his preparations. Opening the backdoor revealed to him a bed of snowflowers in full bloom. Various shades of purple and yellow peeked through the snow's white. It didn't have as much vibrance as the colors of spring but it had its own beauty. _Just like Elphaba._

He smiled in satisfaction. Everything looked perfect.

* * *

Elphaba initially planned to continue making potions in the hospital, but the laboratory is closed on national holidays. With nothing else to do after the opening ceremony and lunch, she found herself in her room in the castle, browsing through the pages of Grimmerie.

Resting her eyes a bit, they landed onto the folded paper on her dresser. It was a note from Fiyero, reminding her of their date in the evening. She blushed, recalling how handsome and regal he looked dressed in princely clothes earlier in the ceremony. Not that he didn't look good in any other day – _he would look good even in beggars' clothes_, she thought.

She walked towards the dresser, thought about the handsome prince and sighed at her reflection at the mirror. From that moment with him and the Lion Cub, she confirmed that there was more to him than his beautiful face.

_I wish I could be beautiful for you..._

She also wished Glinda was there to help her get dressed. Her appearance never was a huge concern for her until now.

Nonetheless, she started brushing her hair, which, she observed, was plainly straight and black. Why Fiyero seemed to be so fond of it, she didn't understand.

After putting on a dress and combing her hair, she picked up a hand mirror, which slipped from her hands. At the sound of shattering glass, images flashed before her. Her breathing became labored and her sweat felt cold as she tried to interpret the vision.

Gathering herself, she hastily went out of the room and looked around for something until she found an old broom.

* * *

When Glinda the Good says she is bad at directions, she really means it. While it took her and her companions less than half a day to travel from Emerald City to the Thousand Year Grasslands in Vinkus, it took her two full days to get back on her own.

Recalling Boq's words of caution, she sighed. _So much for getting back to Emerald City as soon as possible to avoid getting caught…_

She landed on the Emerald Palace courtyard in the evening of Sunday, to her relief. Not many people work on weekends so, to her relief, there were less people in the palace complex that she should hide from.

After slipping past the palace gates, Glinda sighed in relief and internally rejoiced over the mission accomplished. From there on, she walked normally and hailed a cab, looking forward to a nice warm bath and a decent meal.

From the doorstep of her apartment, she heard something that sounded like a mechanical device with gears similar to a clock. It was the last thing she could remember before everything went black.

* * *

As promised, Fiyero stayed near the fountain in the town plaza at eight. Luckily for him, the festival's street bazaar was open the whole night, so the place was well lit and people still flocked the area all throughout his time of waiting.

The alarm for the night's tenth hour sounded too soon to his liking.

Despite his outward calm, every minute that passed by added more and more to his anxiety. He was starting to accept that Elphaba might have changed her mind and decided not to come anymore. _Why would someone as smart and beautiful as her choose to be with someone as brainless as me, anyway?_

He recalled their moment yesterday at the lab, especially the part where she accepted his promise with a smile that took his breath away. That image was all it took to make him stay. He would do anything to make her smile like that again.

Two more hours passed. The crowd subsided and the vendors in the bazaar started to pack up. Fiyero remained seated by the fountain until all that lit up the area were the streetlights.

Snow fell.

He told himself to wait for a few minutes more, but he was getting cold and worried. _What if something happened to her?_ Unwelcome thoughts flooded his mind, so he stood up.

He stopped midway when he felt a hand on his shoulder and something sharp pointed to his back.


	29. 27

**Here's some virtual smelling salts for woodland59, and some virtual pie for everyone. Happy pi day! :)**

**And the story continues...**

* * *

"Don't move!"

Using his instincts honed by both training and experience, Fiyero tried to estimate the size and body count of the pursuers behind him. Guessing that his opponent was shorter and most likely alone, he quickly grabbed the hand that was holding a knife. Skilfully, he pinned his opponent down to the ground, effectively reversing their position. Without any weapon at hand, he pointed his elbow to his opponent's neck.

"Ack! Please don't kill me!"

Fiyero's eyes widened at the familiar face. "Boq!"

"Y- yes, th- that's me. You c- can let go now," the shorter man choked.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." The Vinkun prince loosened his grip and helped Boq stand up. "What brings you here?"

"I came here to look for you."

Fiyero took a step back, slightly adapting a defensive stance. "Yeah, I got that."

"No, no! Wait! I mean no harm!" Realizing that he was still holding a knife, Boq hastily returned the offending item back to his pocket. "Glinda sent me." To prove his point, he showed to Fiyero the necklace Glinda handed to Dorothy.

"Glinda? Oh Oz! How is she?"

"She brought us here using her bubbles but she should be back in the Emerald City now." Boq inspected their surroundings. "Hey," he continued in a hushed voice. "Can we talk somewhere less public? Our trip here isn't exactly legal. It would be best if no one finds us here."

The prince nodded. "Alright. I know a place."

"Wait." The Munchkin looked towards a nearby dark alley. "Dorothy, Brrr, over here!"

A girl, a dog and a familiar Lion emerged from the said alley.

Fiyero frowned as he tried to recall when he came across the particular Lion. "Brrr?" he asked tentatively.

"Oh, it's you, Milord!" The Lion eagerly shook his hand. "Where's Milady?"

"I'm afraid I've lost her tonight. Perhaps she felt ill and went to bed early," Fiyero tentatively answered, silently wishing it were the case. "I intend to go to her now, but let me get you to shelter first."

* * *

This wasn't exactly how Fiyero imagined the end of this supposedly special day. He and his newfound company sat on the floor of his little cabin, facing each other.

Boq thought it risky, but he gambled their safety – Fiyero was supposed to be Oz's most wanted fugitive, after all – by telling his former classmate about Dorothy and how the Wizard asked her to find the beryllite and the beryllite thief.

"Didn't the Great Wizard of Oz realize he just sent a child to a potentially ruthless thief?" Fiyero asked incredulously.

"That's what we all think. Glinda, Nessa and I," Boq replied matter-of-factly. "Glinda is so worried about you, you know?"

The prince sighed, remembering that it was already months ago when he sent his last letter to Glinda. "I know. And I miss her, too."

Boq punched the ground, causing everyone else to flinch. "So why did you do it?"

Fiyero wore an expression that feigned innocence. "Do what?"

"Steal the beryllite," Boq answered a little too harshly than intended. "It's all over the news, Fiyero. The Gale Force and the citizens of Oz are searching for you. Glinda didn't want to believe this. She insists that there must be some huge reason behind your actions." Fiyero looked away in shame. "We're here because we wanted to ask you. Before the Wizard's enforcers or anyone else capture you." Boq huffed. "She's deeply troubled by all of this, Fiyero. And don't you see the danger you're putting her into?"

"I'm… sorry" was all Fiyero could say. "Boq, thank you for doing this for Glinda. It means a lot. I'm sorry."

Boq nodded in acceptance. "Best I could do for her..."

Fiyero looked at him slyly. "Heh! I knew it! Ever since Shiz..." He laughed at the heavily flustered Munchkin.

The prince internally debated whether it was a good idea to tell his story to Boq and his companions and how much detail he could entrust to them. Unsure of his decision, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Okay. Boq, what does the beryllite look like?"

Boq shrugged. "I've never seen it. But they say it's a green crystal... Is it?"

Fiyero shook his head. "When I entered the main reactor in the power plant, I never saw a single green crystal there. Just one human enclosed in a huge tank. A human female."

Knowing his former classmate's reputation in college, Boq snorted. "No kidding?"

"I'm serious, Boq!"

Brrr's eyes widened in realization. "W- wait!" Everyone's attention was on the Lion. "Milord, y- you mean… Milady is…"

"Yes, Brrr," Fiyero replied dimly. "I found her in the power plant. She's supposedly the beryllite."

"So you were running and hiding because...?"

"I can't let them take her away again."

Boq and Dorothy cringed at the thought of using a human being as Oz's source of fuel.

"Um," a small voice uttered, causing everyone to look at Dorothy. "The beryllite is a person?" she asked shyly, trying to check if she got the story right.

"Yes, Dorothy," Fiyero answered. "Not many people know this. Tight security was placed around the power plant to make sure she was kept hidden."

"What's her name?"

He smiled, although he wasn't sure why. "Her name is Elphaba."

"Elphaba? I think I've heard that name before." Boq tried to recall.

"A schoolmate of ours in Shiz," Fiyero answered. "You probably don't remember her, I don't know why. Apparently it's just me and Glinda who remember her."

"Ah! Yes, I've heard that name from Glinda before, when we were in school."

"Creepy stalker," Fiyero whispered not so subtly to everyone except Boq.

Boq felt like his face had the color of a ripe tomato. "Bully!"

Laughter filled the little space, making the atmosphere a little lighter and warmer.

It must have been very late in the evening – or very early in the morning. Fiyero found Dorothy lying in an awkward position using a sleeping Lion and dog as pillows, so he gently carried her and laid her onto the couch.

Boq and Fiyero stayed up for a little while. Fiyero mostly enquired about Glinda, Nessa and some people in Emerald City. Inevitably, they also ended up recalling moments in their dear old Shiz.

"You're so heartless, Boq," Fiyero commented in the middle of their conversation.

"Huh?" Boq replied, taken aback by his comment.

"You actually dated Nessa so you could get closer to Glinda," the prince chided his former schoolmate jokingly.

The Munchkin blushed in embarrassment. "Hey, you supported her!" he bit back with what he learned earlier in their conversation. Fiyero feigned innocent.

"But, then again, yeah. It was partly my fault, I guess. And it didn't end well," Boq admitted. "And it ended in a very inconvenient time. I felt so sorry for Nessa."

Fiyero looked at him curiously. "What happened?"

"I left her alone to grieve when her father died," the Munchkin answered sadly.

"That, my friend, is the most heartless thing I've heard about."

"It is, isn't it?" Boq sighed. "I insisted to stay, but she already knew my heart by then. She knew I wanted to spend forever with another person so she let me go. I can only look at her now shamefacedly."

"If such heart exists," Fiyero joked. They laughed.

* * *

Later, while his companions slept, Fiyero took the chance to sneak into the castle, hoping to see Elphaba peacefully asleep in her room. It may mean that she refused his affections but it would be his comfort if it would also mean that she was safe.

His hope was shattered upon entering her room. On her bed, he saw some hastily folded clothes – the ones she wore in the opening ceremony of the festival – and a piece of paper with a note, which he had to read several times to take the message in.

_Dearest Fiyero,_

_By the time you are reading this, I must have left Vinkus. I may want to tell you why but I won't, because I don't want to put you in harm's way anymore. You've already saved me, for which I am truly grateful. Please do not attempt to find me._

_Extend my thanks to the whole family, which I have been glad to be a part of even for a short time._

_Thank you, Fiyero, for saving me, for taking care of me, for everything. __I will surely regret not being able to properly say goodbye, but it's all for the best._

_Elphaba_

With the note crumpled in his hand, Fiyero returned to his cottage with a weary heart. Her message wasn't easy for him to digest.

He stood by the bed of snowflowers, watching the first rays of the morning sun rise above the horizon. It signaled the start of another day, in which, unlike the one that just passed, he did not know what to do.


	30. 28

**Thank you, Elphabalover101, for reviewing almost every chapter of this story! And thanks to everyone reading this, reviewer or not. We're almost (but not quite) there :)**

* * *

"Good morning, Fiyero," greeted Dorothy from the cabin's backdoor.

"Morning." The prince tried to act cheerful.

But the girl easily noticed the slight dark circles under his eyes. "You didn't sleep, didn't you?"

"Boq's crazy snoring kept me awake" was his made-up excuse.

Yellows and pinks crept onto the ground they were standing on. Dorothy's eyes widened as she watched the sun wake beautifully from its peaceful slumber. "Oh, look at that lovely sunrise!"

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Fiyero affirmed. "Wait 'til you see the sunset over the Greater Kells. It's even more breathtaking."

"Really?" Dorothy happily breathed in some air. "This world isn't so bad, after all."

He didn't miss the hint of longing in her voice. "You miss home?"

"Uh-huh." She knelt down and looked closely at the purple flowers. "But here, flowers bloom in the winter. And I already have a few good friends to keep me company. Maybe I don't mind staying here for a while."

A crazy idea came across Fiyero's mind. The Wizard may be a fraud but Elphaba isn't. Maybe she, being the "beryllite," is the one who could help Dorothy, after all. "Good." He smiled. "It may take a while for us to find Elph-… the beryllite."

"Fiyero?" she called him shyly while fidgeting with the petals of a snowflower. "May I call her Elphaba?"

He chuckled. "Of course. That'd be better."

Their little chat was interrupted by a voice from above.

"Human! Hey, human!" shouted a winged Monkey, which was descending from the sky.

"It's you!" Fiyero ran towards the Monkey, which landed onto the ground. "Uh. What's your name again?"

The Monkey's palm flew to his face. "We haven't introduced ourselves by name, haven't we?"

"We haven't met in fortunate circumstances, I'm afraid." The prince offered his hand for a shake. "My name's Fiyero."

"Chistery." The winged creature placed a furry hand onto his. "Ah, it's you, after all. I knew it! You're all over the news, buddy!"

"So I've heard. And it seems that my old friends have been looking for me recently." They laughed. "So what brings you here?"

"Ah! Yes! I got news for you from the Emerald City." The Monkey's expression became serious. "Oh, have you heard? Glinda the Good has been seriously ill. She's on bed rest right now."

"What?" Fiyero wished he could transport himself towards his friend's side. "Oh Oz. How is she now? Who's taking care of her?" he asked.

"I don't really know, but it seems that she's in a very bad condition. Morrible even had to keep her in the Tower of Magic so she could…"

"Morrible?" Fiyero interjected. He paced back and forth, worry evident on his face. "No way. She can't possibly… Chistery, she's one of the people behind the construction of the Power Plant in Quadling Kells. I don't trust her."

The Monkey nodded. "So do I."

The prince stopped his pacing. "I must get Glinda to safety."

"Erm… Wait a sec, buddy. That's actually not the news I intended to tell you," Chistery interrupted. "I think I came across our 'beryllite.' And it looks like she's the same person who gave me my wings. And she was flying, too. Based on the direction she was heading to, I think she's going to the Emerald City."

Dorothy's eyes widened in realization. "Fiyero, that must be Elphaba!"

Fiyero froze as it all made some sense to him. Perhaps, for some odd reason, Elphaba felt that Glinda, her best friend, was in danger. Metaphors aside, she is quite a magical creature, after all. And, knowing her, he thought it most likely that she would immediately come to her friend's aid.

He held his chin in thought, brewing a few plans. "Right. If we leave now, we might be able to catch up to her."

"Together, we'll be able to get to Miss Glinda, too," Dorothy added.

Fiyero and Dorothy nodded at each other in agreement.

"Woah, woah, guys, slow down!" the Monkey interjected. "You'll be dealing with a powerful sorcerer here. Morrible's not a vizier for nothing! Perhaps you need some more time to… you know… gather some fighters and form a team."

As if on cue, the rest of the "team" appeared at the cabin's door.

"Morning, guys!" Boq greeted sleepily while scratching his belly. "What's for breakfast?"

Toto ran towards Dorothy, while Brr stretched lazily.

Chistery looked at the band of unlikely heroes. "Is this the team you plan to bring along in your quest to take down a powerful sorcerer?"

"Uh-huh." Fiyero looked at his new teammates and beamed positively. "A team made up of Clueless, Heartless, Coward and Brainless? And a super fluffy dog. How more perfect could it be?"

* * *

Through their green spectacles, Ozians marveled at the black flurry that crossed the Emerald City's sky. The more curious ones stared in awe and some of them even tried to follow its track. A Gale Force officer on patrol aimed his rifle to the flying object while the people around him cowered in fear.

Through a pair of binoculars, the Wizard was able to take a magnified look at the object of interest; it almost came in a black blur due to its speed, but he did not fail to notice the hints of green. He dropped the binoculars and massaged his temples. "I- It can't be…"

Looking through the window, he gasped upon realizing that the flying object was zooming to his direction. Shielding himself with his arms was the only thing he could do before the glass shattered upon impact.

Lying with his back on the floor, he propped himself on one arm, adjusted his glasses and tried to identify his attacker. His eyes widened at the familiar green face.

"Where's Glinda?" Elphaba asked coldly, glaring at the Wizard.

"I d- don't know…" The old man tried to move away from her. "Wh- who are you?" He massaged his hurting temples.

"What do you mean?" Elphaba stomped on the ground. A few sparks flew from her green hands. "What did you do to Glinda?"

With one hand still massaging his head, the Wizard tried to stand up and step back.

"Don't you dare run away from me! I want an answer!"

The Wizard thought her imposing and threatening but her words only sounded like a buzz to him – the pain on his head was getting worse. He covered his ears with his palms.

"Coward! There's no use in hiding! Where's Glinda? Tell me now!"

Unable to bear the pain any longer, he fetched a green bottle from his pocket. After a satisfying gulp of the green liquid that came out of it, he sighed in relief.

Taken aback, Elphaba stared disbelievingly at the familiar green bottle in the Wizard's hand.

"Ah! I remember you now," said the Wizard. "Your name's Elphaba, right?"

She remained frozen in place.

"It's weird. Just a while ago, I can't seem to remember you," he continued. "But now I can. We met five years ago, but it didn't go fine. But that's okay, we can…"

Elphaba clenched her fists. "We'll deal with that later. Bring me to Glinda first," she interrupted. "And where did you get that green bottle, anyway?"

"Oh. This?" The Wizard held the bottle up for her to see. "I made this. Along with another one for beautiful ol' Melena," he said, almost whispering the last sentence.

"Melena?"

"A little favor for her kindness," the old man explained. "For letting me stay in her house when I got lost in Munchkinland. You know her?"

Elphaba bit her tongue and kept her countenance. "I have no time for pep talk. Where is Glinda?"

The Wizard sighed. "I already told you, Elphaba. I really don't know."

Flames glided on the floor towards him, circling around his feet. He looked at the lady and figured that this was her doing.

"R- right now, a- at least. W- we can figure out. Ask the guards. Or Morrible. O- or something," was his hasty answer. His focus was half on whether the flames would get to his clothes. "Sh- she's most l- likely with M- Morrible…"

"Morrible?" she muttered harshly. The flames around the Wizard intensified. "If you let that fiend lay a finger on Glinda, I'll…" She continued and punctuated her last sentence by fuelling the fire a little more.

"C- calm down, lady!" He alternately looked at her icy glare and the flames around him. "I uh… know a few places where… Ack!" He quickly pulled the tail of his coat before it almost caught fire. "W- where she may be… I- I can… Ohpleasedonthurtme!"

Just when Elphaba thought she had control over the situation, a squad of armed men in green uniforms rushed into the throne room. Some of them tried to capture the green lady, but she was able to skilfully evade their attacks; she silently thanked Fiyero for teaching her some combat skills while they were on the run.

Since Elphaba was unable to keep hold of her fire spell due to her movements, the flames disappeared. The Wizard quickly ran and hid behind the Ozhead.

Using her magic and quick reflexes, she kept up with the Gale Force officers. But not for long. Upon evading the attack of a guard, she bumped into another one. Eventually, the guards were able to immobilize her.

Once his guards were able to restrain her, the Wizard awakened the Ozhead. "I didn't want to do this," he told Elphaba through the Ozhead. "We'll talk once you've calmed down. Men, bring her to the Southstairs."


	31. 29

Before the Gale Force could leave the throne room, they almost felt the ground shake. A loud roar thundered across the palace halls as one huge creature rushed into the room, sending some of the guards running away for their lives.

With just a handful of guards left in the room, two cloaked figures appeared from the shadows and knocked them down. Elphaba took this chance to free herself and fight off her captors. From the corner of her eye, she saw a third cloaked figure locking the room's door from the inside.

"You'll never get away with this!" the last guard standing shouted as he tried to attack the green lady.

Elphaba was unable to react quickly. Fortunately, a strong fist met her attacker's jaw before he got to her. The guard fell unconscious.

"You didn't have to come after me, I told you," she told the cloaked figure who protected her without looking at him.

"I came here for a different reason, actually." The man brought his hood down and gave her a lopsided grin. "But you know I'd find you, anyway. What part of 'letting other people take care of you' do you not get?" he chastised playfully.

She rolled her eyes but sent him a small smile and said "Thank you, Fiyero." Once again, she wore a serious expression. "But Glinda's in trouble. I must find her. I…"

"And we'll help," Fiyero interjected. She was about to protest, but he gently stopped her. "Glinda's my friend, too. And this is entirely my fault after all. And…" He flashed her a smile before she could interrupt. "Don't worry, I promise not to get in your way."

Though a little hesitant, she smiled back.

Meanwhile, Brrr, the Lion who earlier filled the room with a great roar, slowly approached one of the guards that lied unconsciously on the floor to check on him. Almost automatically, upon contact, Brrr ran away and hid behind the girl with a cloak.

"It's okay, Brrr," said Dorothy, while patting the shivering Lion gently. "They can't hurt us now."

Toto roamed around and sniffed at various things curiously.

"Fiyero, we have to hurry," Boq, the other cloaked figure, told him after making sure the guards in the room were unconscious. "The other guards will surely call for reinforcements. It won't be long until…" The Munchkin gaped at the other familiar face. "E- Elphaba?"

"Boq, you remember?" Fiyero asked him, confused. "I thought you didn't..."

"Yeah. I'm equally surprised. Perhaps it's a magic spell and it wears off once you see the forgotten person again," Boq explained. "Glad to see you again, Elphaba. Where have you been?"

"Long story," was Elphaba's quick answer. "We have to find Glinda, first."

"Right!"

"Woof! Woof!"

Dorothy automatically focused her attention to the little dog who was trying to pull something from behind the Ozhead's throne.

"What is it, Toto?" she asked.

Elphaba walked towards the object of interest and roughly pulled its arm. The Wizard was forced to come out of his hiding place.

"Please don't hurt me!" he panicked.

Dorothy frowned in confusion. "Who's that?"

Boq shrugged in response.

Elphaba cleared her throat. "Everyone, meet the Wizard of Oz."

* * *

Later, troops of Gale Force officers came rushing towards the throne room from different directions as reinforcements. For the first squad to be defeated so easily, their enemy must've been very powerful.

"Guards! Guards!" a powerful voice boomed throughout the palace. The officers easily recognized the voice of the Ozhead Wizard. "I've already gotten our enemies under control. Please return to your respective assignmentations."

The officers, however confused, obediently complied.

After switching off what they had figured out to be the loudspeaker, Boq looked at the various switches, buttons, levers and lights behind the Ozhead. "So this one's for the left eyebrow, and..." He pulled another lever and observed its effect. "Eyelids. Ooh! How about this one?"

"No, no! Don't touch that!" the actual Wizard interrupted before Boq's hand was able to push a particularly enticing red button.

"Hey! You're supposed to be talking to me!" Elphaba shouted at the old man.

Using her telekinetic powers, she lifted him off the ground and made him sit on a chair. The strings that held the curtains in the throne room flew towards him and tied his hands and feet.

"It'll be much easier for you if you just spill all the information you can give," she said coldly.

Dorothy and Brrr cowered behind Fiyero as they watched the interrogation. The prince tried to stay strong for his companions.

"Is she always like this, Fiyero?" Dorothy asked.

Fiyero shook his head. "She just easily gets agitated when she knows those she cares about are in danger. Glinda is a very dear friend to her."

"Hey, Fiyero," Boq called him as he stepped down from the Ozhead. "Do you mind if I walk around a bit? You know. Survey the place and maybe find some clues. I'm just getting a bit restless in this place, doing nothing," he continued in a hushed voice.

"No, you guys stay," Fiyero protested. "I'll go. I know every place in the palace."

"But you're easier to spot. You're a fugitive, remember? The guards are definitely on heightened alert right now."

Fiyero's shoulders slumped. "Yeah."

"Besides…" Boq turned his head towards a very angry Elphaba. "It looks like someone here needs some moral support."

The prince nodded. "Fine. I'll stay."

"I'll try to be back soon. In case anything comes up where I am, I'll use these. Here, have some." Boq showed some flares in his satchel and handed some of them to Fiyero. "C'mon Brrr. Dorothy, stay here with Fiyero and Elphaba."

Boq and Brrr soon disappeared through the same secret passage they used to enter the throne room.

* * *

"W- what are you talking about?" the Wizard asked in between shallow breaths. Beads of sweat covered his forehead. "G- Glinda?"

The ball of fire that Elphaba held grew larger. Just when she was about to throw the fireball, a hand covered the warm, green one.

"Fiyero! How dare you interrupt me?" Elphaba almost shouted angrily. She gasped upon seeing his hand covered in burns, effectively making the fireball disappear. "Oh Oz. I- I'm…"

Fiyero kept their hands together and hushed her gently. "It's okay, Fae. Please, just calm down."

"I'm sorry." Elphaba bowed down guiltily. "Here, let me heal it." She held his hand tenderly as she chanted a healing spell. The burns gradually disappeared.

With the flames around the Wizard extinguished, Toto took the opportunity to attack him. Dorothy, Fiyero and Elphaba watched the dog pull the hem of the old man's pants in amusement.

"There you go. Someone's gonna take care of the Wizard for you," Fiyero joked, bumping Elphaba's shoulder playfully. She smiled a little. "C'mon. I think it's about time to regroup and rethink our plans."

"What did you plan upon getting here, anyway?" enquired Elphaba. "And how did you get here so fast?"

"Just like yours, but not as harsh. Get information from the Wizard. Great minds think alike." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes. "See that necklace Dorothy is wearing? Glinda gave it to them. It can summon giant bubbles. Cool, huh? But I didn't get to ride one. Chistery, brought me here."

"Chistery?" she interjected upon hearing the familiar name. "Sweet Oz, he survived! I thought I almost killed him back then." She cringed at the memory of the Wizard's Monkey servants writhing in pain while she made them grow wings.

"It wasn't your fault, Fae. Though I have to thank you for it. That's how I got here," the prince continued, chuckling at the memory of his very uncomfortable flight. "Wasn't a nice flight, if you ask me, but we can't all go by bubble." They laughed.

Fiyero realized that he hadn't introduced the ladies to each other, so he took that opportunity to do so.

Elphaba eyed Dorothy's shoes, which looked awfully familiar, except for its color.

Dorothy noticed this and felt a little uncomfortable. "Th- these shoes are from Miss Nessarose, the governor of Munchkinland," she explained. Almost immediately, her eyes widened in realization. "Elphaba? Oh, you must be her sister!"

"Yes, I am," Elphaba replied. "Oh, Nessa! I should go to her. She might be…" She paced back and forth.

"Tsk tsk." Fiyero blocked the green lady's way and held her shoulders. "One at a time, dearest. One at a time."

She huffed, feeling disappointed and helpless.

* * *

Boq walked casually across the streets near the palace. Not to their liking, they decided to put a chain around Brr's neck and made him act as a pet lion. At first, the Munckin thought it was a bad idea but it went smoothly – it was becoming common among rich people in Emerald City and Gilikin Country to have exotic pets. People simply thought of Boq as a caretaker of the pet lion.

Passing by a less busy street, they came across a magazine stand. Boq took a magazine and looked at its cover.

"Ah. Milla, the new cover girl of Ozmopolitan," a lone passerby commented as he glanced at the same magazine Boq was holding. "She's a real beauty."

Boq subtly looked around, checking if he was talking to someone in particular. Finding no one around, aside from himself, he replied to show courtesy. "She is, isn't she?"

The man continued by talking about previous cover girls and other celebrities who, in his opinion, passes as pretty. Not particularly articulate in such field, Boq ended up replying with yes, no, a nod or some generic answers. _This is getting nowhere._

The man sighed. "If our leaders were half as prettified as Milla, maybe more people would listen to them," he continued, laughing.

"There's Glinda," Boq replied quickly.

"Saint Glinda? Dude, I didn't know you were the religious type! What I meant by leaders are those people in the palace. The politicians, you know." The man laughed.

"What? No, not Saint Glinda. I was talking about the Wizard's press secretary!"

The man cackled. "Press secretary? That fish-face Morrible? Dude, your concept of beauty is so twistified!"

Boq was about to open his mouth to reply, but he stopped himself.

"Well, you know what? I've got to go," Boq said, looking at the wristwatch he was wearing. "My uh… master is waiting for me. Thank you for this… insightful conversation."

The duo went around some more and Boq tried to talk to other people, subtly trying to extract information about Morrible or Glinda.

"What's going on, Boq?" asked Brrr later that day, when they were alone.

"I don't know, Brrr," Boq answered. "Something's amiss. It seems that people don't know Glinda. It's like she never existed."

* * *

_People flocked into the streets of the Emerald City, shrouding the place with a cheerful atmosphere. The sun shone brightly and warmly over the horizon. Whether the city was still snow-laden or not, it remained unnoticed amidst the otherwise fine weather._

_The people were all smiles as they watched Glinda the Good descend towards the balcony of the Emerald Palace. Once she had landed, the giant bubble that carried her magically disappeared._

_With golden curls and flurries of soft pink fabric and lace bouncing gracefully with her movements, Glinda turned to face the Ozians from her platform. She waved and met their smiles with a warm one of her own._

_This had always been her dream. She didn't want this to end._

Morrible dusted her hands contentedly. A smirk spread across her lips as she watched the young sorcerer's sleeping form. "Sweet dreams, dearie," she said sinisterly.

No response came from Glinda. She remained asleep, with a happy smile on her face, completely detached from the world outside her dream.


	32. 30

**Apologies for my slowed updates.**

**And now, some action :)**

* * *

While Fiyero and Dorothy inspected the Ozhead, Elphaba studied the throne room – exactly the place where she was tricked by the Wizard and Morrible to cast the spell that hurt the Monkeys. Despite having vengeful thoughts, she tried to follow Fiyero's advice to calm down.

"Elphaba," the Wizard, still tied to a chair, greeted when she passed by.

"Who is this Melena you were talking about?" Elphaba asked in a neutral tone.

"She lives in Munchkinland," he answered. "We bumped into each other once, twenty-six years ago. The next time we met, she let me stay in her house. She was lonely then, so, together, we talked and danced and drank and…"

Elphaba did not miss the slight blush on his face.

"You know her, don't you?" he asked gently.

The green lady walked towards the window and looked away. "That green bottle of yours, I had one, too. It's a memento from my mother," she answered indirectly.

Silence filled the room. Both of them waited for further explanation but neither found confidence to be the first one to speak out loud. Both started to read between lines, remember people and calculate dates but neither finished – or they may have finished but neither dared to voice out his or her conclusion.

"I um... Morrible… I don't really know where she is," the Wizard suddenly admitted, breaking the silence. "She goes everywhere. One day she's here, next day she's in Quadling. I don't really know what she's been up to recently. Perhaps she's in the Tower of Magic. I think she's been working with something. I don't know…"

Images appeared in Elphaba's mind like a vision. Finding it in tune with the Wizard's guess, she readied her broom for takeoff. "I should try looking for Glinda there, then."

"Elphaba, wait!"

She stopped on her way towards the window.

"We've been through a rough start," said the Wizard. "But if you let me… Please, Elphaba, I- I'm a sentimental man who always longed to be a fa-"

"We'll talk later," she interjected. "I must go."

The Wizard clumsily hopped his way towards the window, bringing along the chair he had been tied to, to watch Elphaba fly towards the Tower of Magic.

Meanwhile, Fiyero and Dorothy stood frozen on their places, watching the Wizard and trying to digest what they just heard from the conversation of the unlikely father-and-daughter pair.

"F- Fiyero… Please let me go," the old man begged. "I must… I must get her back."

"No, I won't let you get her." Fiyero adapted a defensive stance while shielding the girl beside him. "I'll do everything I can to stop you from harming her. Your own daughter, no less!"

"O- of course." The Wizard sat on the chair he was tied to and wore a calm expression. "I see now why you had to leave our side. You seem to care for her so much…"

"More than my life," Fiyero finished his sentence. "I've sought her for the past five years. I won't let you or Morrible or anyone put her in danger again."

The old man bowed dejectedly. "Please take care of her, then."

Wordlessly, Fiyero quickly bowed to the Wizard – he was, apparently, Elphaba's father after all – and rushed towards a secret exit.

Dorothy looked confusedly back and forth between the two men before eventually running after Fiyero. Toto followed suit.

* * *

Morrible stood in front of a full-length mirror and inspected herself. Her hair was still white with age but her skin, she noticed, was a little smoother.

She picked up her wand and summoned a giant snowball. Its size was larger that she expected, considering the little amount of energy she spent to cast the spell.

"Not bad, dearie," said Morrible. She turned and walked towards what looked like a surgical table where Glinda laid peacefully. "I always thought you didn't have what it takes. You're better that I thought. A far cry from Elphaba but this would do." She chuckled. "Grommetik?"

A mechanical device whose gears sound like the ticking of a clock wheeled itself into the room and heeded the old sorcerer's call.

"How would you like to transform into your final form?"

At the flick of Morrible's wand, the ticking sounds from the device grew louder.

* * *

Outside the palace, Fiyero, Dorothy and Toto ran across an empty courtyard and heard a familiar voice.

"Dorothy! Fiyero! Over here!"

"It's Boq!" Dorothy told Fiyero.

They ran towards their comrade.

"I saw Elphaba fly towards that direction. Where is she going?" Boq asked.

"Tower of Magic," Fiyero answered. "The Wizard said Morrible's there. Let's go."

While she was trailing behind Fiyero and Boq, Dorothy observed her surroundings and found it odd. "Where are the palace guards?" she asked no one in particularly.

"Beats me," replied Boq. "Lucky us. We can't be running here in the open like this if they were here."

"We're close. Brace yourselves," Fiyero said as they approached the tower that stood almost as high as the Emerald Palace.

They gasped upon seeing beams of light shooting from the tower. Brrr instantly cowered behind Dorothy, who was equally frightened. Fiyero gestured for everyone to hide behind the nearby sculptures.

Toto barked excitedly while wiggling its tail. Its human companions looked towards the object of its interest and saw a blur of black and green spiraling around the tower. It almost camouflaged with the darkness of the night sky.

Fiyero cautiously stepped out of his hiding place and tried to lock eyes with Elphaba. Once they did, he communicated his plan to her. She nodded, understanding his message even without words.

At Fiyero's whistle, the men guarding the entrance of the Tower of Magic were alerted. The guards picked up their weapons and prepared themselves to attack the intruders.

"Boq, let's go! Brrr, get Dorothy to Elphaba and help them enter the tower!" Fiyero instructed his companions as he charged forward.

Before entering the tower, Elphaba tried to support the others by casting a spell that slightly blurred the vision of their opponents. She deliberately weakened the range of her spell to avoid accidentally casting it on her comrades.

On her way towards the entrance door, she quickly scooped Dorothy and Toto and mouthed her thanks to Fiyero, Boq and Brrr.

* * *

Elphaba and Dorothy climbed the tower level after level even after losing track of how high they had gotten. They were mostly silent that all they could hear were each other's breaths.

Unable to go further by flying, Elphaba maneuvered her broom so she and Dorothy could land onto some floor. A few more levels later, the green lady stopped on her tracks and blocked her companion protectively upon hearing a peculiar noise from above.

"What's that?" Dorothy whispered.

"I don't know," Elphaba replied. "It sounds like…" Her eyes widened in realization when she recalled the familiar sound in her battle with Morrible five years ago.

As if on cue, gigantic mechanical device landed from the ceiling, effectively destroying several levels of floors above them.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

Elphaba stood her ground, shielding Dorothy behind her while glaring at the person standing on Grommetik, which was then in its magically enhanced form. "Morrible!"

"It's good to see me, isn't it?" Morrible cackled. "Ugh. The things that ditzy blonde girl is rubbing off on me."

"Where is Glinda?" the green lady asked, straight to the point.

"Oh you wouldn't need to know that. She's perfectly pleasified wherever she is right now."

Enraged, Elphaba threw a giant fireball, which connected with what looked like Grommetik's arm. It was enough to cause panic on the machine, which seemed to have its own consciousness. The machine frantically shook its arm, hoping to extinguish the flame.

"Stop moving too much. I can put that fire off!" Morrible told Grommetik while trying to maintain her balance on the shaking machine.

But it did not ease the machine's panic.

"You idiot! I'm gonna fall!"

Her opponents were distracted enough that Elphaba was able to fly through the holes on the ceilings created earlier by the machine. She looked above and figured that the highest level she could perceive was about twenty more levels up.

Soon, Morrible was able to extinguish the fire. Grommetik began climbing up to catch Elphaba.

Dorothy gasped when she looked down. "They're gaining on us!"

Elphaba was about to speed up the broom but she stopped herself, quickly coming up with another plan.

"Dorothy, listen," she told the girl, who listened attentively. "You will climb up to the top from this level on."

"What? But…"

"At least one of us should be able to find Glinda. I'll distract Morrible."

Dorothy hesitantly nodded.

"Send me a signal if you find her. Or if anything comes up. What do you have?"

"I uh…" Dorothy slipped her hands into her pockets and felt their contents. "I have some flares and a match. Boq gave them to me."

"Good. Now go! Don't look back!"

The girl dashed towards the stairs to the next level while Elphaba descended to meet her opponent.


	33. 31

From their hiding place, Fiyero, Boq and Brrr observed the guards outside the Tower of Magic.

"So it seems that the palace lacked guards because they were all here, after all," Brrr commented. "Look at that number of men outside the tower. It's almost impossible to go inside!"

"Yeah," Boq agreed. "Hey, Fiyero, are Gale Force guards always this stiff while patrolling?" he asked.

"Not really," the former member of the Gale Force, answered. "Not that stiff. They look like they're controlled by someone…"

"Yeah, I noticed." Boq sighed. "I wonder how the girls are…"

"Just believe in them Boq! They can do it!" said Brrr.

Boq rolled his eyes. "You're just scared, Brrr. You just don't want us to try to get into the tower. We can't leave them on their own. We must catch up soon."

"I- I'm not s- scared!" Brr replied defensively. "I just…"

"Boq's right, Brrr," Fiyero interjected. "We should get inside. Especially if Morrible is in there."

"B- but there's… there's only th- three of us…" the Lion panicked. "And… and… Elphaba can fly…"

"Brrr, remember what you did when we broke through the palace?" Fiyero interrupted again. "That was really awesome! If you could do that again…"

"Fiyero, these guards are mind-controlled," Boq protested. "That might mean they're devoid of emotions. We cannot scare them like before."

"Oh. Right." Fiyero's shoulders slumped. "Any other ideas?"

The three looked at each other, shrugged, and sighed.

"Well we can't just sit here while Elphaba and Dorothy are in trouble," said Fiyero as he stood up from his hiding place. He retreated instantly upon realizing that he was exposing himself to the guards.

"Um. Okay," Boq restarted. "Maybe we can just charge and find a way to at least let you in," he continued while looking at Fiyero.

"That's fine with me. But will you guys be okay out here?"

"We don't have much options, do we?"

Boq, Fiyero and Brrr fought their way towards the door of the Tower of Magic with much difficulty. More than an hour passed since Elphaba entered the tower so they guessed her blinding spell already wore off. They were also getting tired.

The little drop of courage Brrr seemed to have completely evaporated when a handful of guards surrounded him. He shivered at the sight of rifles and pikes pointed to him.

"Oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear!"

"Stay calm, Lion!" Fiyero shouted as he struggled to escape his own set of opponents. "Boq, can you…?"

"I'm trying!" Boq replied, panting. Several guards were also blocking his way. "C'mon, Brrr! Get a hold of yourself!"

The Lion's eyes widened in fear as one guard almost pulled the trigger of his gun. Unable to control himself, he roared as loudly as he can. The guard lost his aim and ended up shooting some wall.

Boq and Fiyero had to cover their ears. Luckily for them, the enemies that surrounded them were stunned by the deafening sound. One by one, the guards fainted.

"That was awesome, Brrr!" Boq exclaimed. "Can you do that again?"

"O- of course!" The Lion roared once more, knocking down two men who were about to attack him.

Pumped up, Fiyero sprinted towards Boq and Brrr to help them fight the approaching enemies.

"Fiyero, no! You go ahead to the tower!" Boq told him. "The Lion and I can handle this."

"Okay!"

* * *

Dorothy flinched when a beam of light shot from below. Realizing that it was not going to hit her, she peeked from her hiding place and watched it ascend until it disappeared. Another one flew upward but it hit the wall, slightly burning the spot it hit.

The girl was about to look downward to check on Elphaba, but she stopped herself. Instead, she looked for the stairs and climbed to the next level.

Meanwhile, Elphaba was, so far, doing well in dodging Morrible's magic and Grommetik's attacks. Her reflexes may still not be as quick as Fiyero's but she was smaller and she could create magical barriers and heal from time to time.

"Exceeding my expectations again, dearie. Even for you, I wouldn't have expected this much improvement in such a short time," Morrible commented. "Too bad, only one of us could come out alive. Of course you wouldn't leave your dear friend alone in this tower, wouldn't you?"

The old sorcerer summoned a huge ball of energy using her wand and threw it towards Elphaba.

From the outside, Boq and Brrr wore horrified expressions as they watched the ball of energy break through the tower's wall.

While smoke and debris floated around the space, Elphaba took the opportunity to get closer to Grommetik and find any weak points.

Huge arms, each with a pendulum at one end, protruded from the giant machine. Upon detecting the approaching enemy, Grommetik swung its arms towards Elphaba, sending her flying towards the wall.

Elphaba coughed out the dust she inhaled before she noticed the strong arms holding her and the body that shielded her from hitting the wall.

"Did I come in late, Milady?" Fiyero greeted the lady in his arms playfully.

Elphaba snorted. "Just in time, my hero."

"Enjoy your cutesy moment together while it lasts," threatened Morrible as she directed Grommetik to charge towards the pair.

Fiyero, holding the lady in his arms tightly, quickly evaded the swing of the pendulum, but he did not anticipate a second one. Fortunately, Elphaba was able to summon a barrier to protect them. Grommetik slightly fell back with recoil.

"Phew! That was close!" Fiyero wiped some sweat from his brow.

"Fiyero, watch out!" shouted Elphaba.

He looked behind him and saw what looked like red eyes of Grommetik. In a tick-tock, he was running and jumping, avoiding the showers of red beams coming from the giant machine's eyes. Given normal circumstances, Elphaba would have asked him to let her go but, this time, she clung to him tightly.

Pillars and other structures in the room began to crumble from the impact of the beams. Even the floor seemed to be on the verge of giving in and falling off.

"So… how do we defeat that monster?" Fiyero asked no one in particular. He and Elphaba watched the machine wander about from a blind spot.

Elphaba watched carefully how Morrible directs the machine. "Looks like it works under her spell. If we could just immobilize her or something," she thought out loud. "We may be able to dodge its arms, but it can hit us with its eyes."

"We could destroy the red thingy first. Shoot the thing from afar," Fiyero suggested. "Ugh. I should've stolen a rifle from the guards down there."

"Maybe I could do that," she replied. "I could destroy it with my magic."

"Okay," he agreed hesitantly. "But you hide first. I'll distract it so it won't find you."

"What about its arms? The pendulum can do some serious damage," she said while healing her bruise caused by the said pendulum.

"But it takes some time to swing. We might as well use it to destroy the machine itself." He simply gave her a knowing smile. "I'm pretty sure we can handle it easily. We make a good team."

The pair did according to what was planned. Fiyero charged towards Grommetik while avoiding its red beams. Finally getting Morrible's full attention, he maneuvered them into a corner, increasing the area of the machine's blind spot. Elphaba, who was once again flying on her broom, threw a bolt of lightning which went straight through what looked like Grommetik's head, effectively destroying the part that produces the harmful red beams.

Morrible almost lost her footing on Grommetik's shoulder. "You're not getting away with this!" she shouted, urging her machine slave to rise up again and swing its arms.

Finding the green witch, Morrible made Grommetik swing a pendulum towards her.

"Hey! I'm your enemy! Come at me!" Fiyero shouted while waving his arms wildly.

Grommetik easily detected the moving human, to which it swung another arm. Missing its target, it retracted its arm back and extended it again in another attempt to catch him.

"Grommetik, stop it! You're ruining my plans!" Morrible chastised the machine.

Finding each other amidst the rubble, Fiyero and Elphaba ran towards each other.

"There she is! Get her!" the old sorceress demanded.

The machine did as its master said. At the same time, the other arm seemed to have found Fiyero. Two huge masses of metal crashed against each other and fell on the floor, creating a hole.

Losing the balance given by its two arms, Grommetik fell onto floor, turning itself into a useless heap of wood and metal. Morrible coughed heavily after breathing in some the dusty air.

While Elphaba and Fiyero helped each other stand up, bright lights shone above them.

"It's a signal from Dorothy," said Elphaba. "Let's go."

Fiyero looked around and found that most of the floors of the levels above them had been destroyed. Moreover, he wasn't able to find a single functional staircase. Of course, he knew Elphaba could fly using her broomstick.

"Elphaba, your broom." He noticed the stick, which was once the handle of a broom, in her hand.

She gasped upon discovering that the item was destroyed. Unable to think of other options, she threw the item away and started chanting the first spell she learned from the Grimmerie.

At the end of the incantation, some pieces of wood, brick, metal and other scrap materials floated in air. Elphaba tried but failed to hang onto one of the flying objects so Fiyero swept her off her feet and hopped onto a floating chunk of wood. Catching their breaths and saving their energy, the two remained silent as they ascended higher and higher in the Tower of Magic.


	34. 32

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Toto barked noisily while running around Glinda's sleeping form. It pounced on her arms and legs and licked her hands and cheeks but she remained unresponsive.

Glinda still wore the happy expression she had ever since she fell asleep. Not even the ruckus below, not far from where she was at the top of the Tower of Magic, shook her. It made Dorothy feel worried.

"Please wake up, Miss Glinda!" the girl told her, hoping she would hear. Toto whined and snuggled on the sleeping lady's side.

Dorothy's heart leapt upon hearing the landing of feet onto the floor. "Miss Glinda, you know Elphaba, right? Please wake up! She's here! She's…" The girl turned her head and gasped.

"Fascinatious!" Morrible, who just landed at the top of the tower, commented. Her eyes were sinister, making the girl's knees tremble. "But kids shouldn't stick their noses in adults' business. Off you go!"

While Morrible raised her wand, Toto angrily bit the hem of her dress. She merely snorted. "You little cretin dare interfere? Take that!" she said, punctuating it with a harsh kick that sent the poor little creature flying.

"No! Toto!" Dorothy rushed towards the dog's prone form. She trembled and cried in fear.

Before Morrible could get her hands on the weeping girl, a wall of fire appeared between them. The sorceress turned and summoned a lightning bolt using her wand. She directed the bolt towards the one who beckoned the flames. But before the lightning hit its target, it was met by a kick of a combat boot with a sole made of rubber.

"Let the girl go!" shouted Fiyero. "I am your enemy, Morrible. Fight me!"

Elphaba, behind him, was about to protest, but he went on charging towards their opponent.

More lightning bolts came in Fiyero's way but he evaded them. Once he was close, Morrible produced a dagger and used it to defend herself. Temporarily, he was able to immobilize her by grabbing the wrist of the hand holding the weapon.

"Now's the chance, Fae!" he signaled. Elphaba grabbed the hand of Dorothy, who was carrying her pet dog, and they dashed towards Glinda.

"Trying to be a hero again, huh? That's very charmifying," Morrible commented. "If only it would work well for you. I assume you haven't forgotten how easily I defeated you last time."

Once Morrible was able to get back some distance from her opponent, she showered him with bolts of ice. Despite his agility, Fiyero got a few cuts because he was still in a dangerously close range. Nonetheless, when the spell died down, he kept his guard and positioned himself in a fighting stance.

"Doesn't matter," Fiyero replied, panting slightly. "I trust Elphaba and Glinda. You won't win."

* * *

Meanwhile, Toto led Dorothy and Elphaba towards where Glinda laid unconsciously. It barked at the sleeping lady in another futile attempt to wake her up.

Elphaba rushed to Glinda's side and held the hand of her friend, who she had never seen in five years. She was the same beautiful lady with golden curls, but she was much paler this time. The green witch looked closely at her friend's hand and saw little ice crystals forming on her skin.

Dorothy grabbed Glinda's other hand and gasped. "She's freezing!"

Elphaba let go of Glinda's hand and cast a weak fire spell. The ice crystals on her friend's hands melted at her warm touch.

Dorothy watched Elphaba do her magic. Tentatively, the girl tried to help by rubbing off the ice on the hand she was holding. Later, she flinched upon hearing Elphaba's sharp intake of breath. Dorothy tiptoed to see what the green lady was looking at and saw burn marks on Glinda's hand. She watched Elphaba, whose face she cannot see because her head was lowered down. Teardrops fell on the burnt hand. Dorothy wanted to comfort Elphaba but she did not know how.

Elphaba was taken out of her reverie by the sound of explosion and flash of bright lights, which appeared from where Fiyero and Morrible were fighting. Dorothy easily recognized the lights coming from one of the flares Boq gave them.

Against the intense illumination, Elphaba watched the silhouette that unmistakably belonged to Fiyero. For a split-second, she thought he glanced at her but he quickly hopped off to evade an incoming lightning bolt. Suddenly, she felt so sorry – she only cried and dwelt in her helplessness while he fought bravely against their enemy. Finding her strength and courage once more, she focused her attention on Glinda, healing her burns and trying to melt the ice on her skin.

Finding her efforts fruitless, Elphaba took the Grimmerie from her satchel and looked for some spell in the book that she could use. She also fetched a pen and a piece of paper and hastily scrawled a sort of an incantation – one that was not exactly the same as what she read from the book.

"Please make this work," Elphaba pleaded silently to no one in particular. "Oh, Glinda, please wake up!"

* * *

Fiyero was serious when he said to Morrible that Elphaba and Glinda could defeat her. But, truth be told, he had no idea how they would do that. Nonetheless, he fought on, clinging on the hope that Glinda would wake up. It was their goal, after all. Of course, he never told Elphaba out loud because he thought she might protest. _If dying in Morrible's hands would mean Elphaba and Glinda would leave this place alive and safe…_

Huge icicles flew towards him, interrupting his thoughts. He quickly hopped off his place, escaping an icicle by a hair strand.

Moreover, he observed how powerful Morrible was despite her appearance – she looked years older than he last saw her in the power plant in Quadling Kells.

A second icicle approached him and easily slid over his skin, leaving a crimson-colored streak on his arm.

Unfazed, he was able to evade the ice needles and lightning bolts that followed. He even met the incoming giant snowball with a punch that dispersed it.

His strong punch dragged his body forward, but his heavily worn out legs were unable to support him. Consequently, he fell with his face down.

* * *

_The sun was shining so intensely and the cheers and the ballyhoo of the happy throng was resounding. But Glinda the Good did not mind because she loved the people's attention. She continued smiling and waving at the people as she paraded in the middle of the crowd._

_The sounds were almost deafening that she almost did not hear two familiar voices amidst the noise._

"_Glinda! Glinda, over here!"_

_Glinda turned her head towards the source of the voices and was delighted to see her two old college friends, ShenShen and Pfannee. Since then, Glinda was able to spot a few more familiar faces among the flock of people._

_One person came to mind as she scanned the crowd. She narrowed her eyes to look for someone whose skin had the color of emeralds. However, she found it impossibly difficult to distinguish her in the midst of people in green garb in the City of Emeralds._

"_Miss Glinda!"_

_Glinda looked behind and saw a girl running after the carriage she was riding. "Dorothy!"_

"_Miss Glinda! Fiyero and Elphaba are in trouble! Please wake up!" the girl shouted._

_All other sounds seemed to quiet down to Glinda's ears because worry flooded her thoughts. "Sweet Oz. What have I been doing here?" she asked herself internally._

_The sunlight suddenly became too irritatingly too hot to her liking. She looked at her hands and gasped at the burns that covered it. Confused, she frantically looked around her._

_Her eyes landed onto the Tower of Magic, which seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. Some beams of light came out of it, causing some parts of the tower to fall. She looked again at the people who seemed to be unaffected – they were still cheering happily._

"_What's going on?" she asked no one in particular. No one responded._

"_What's going on? Please answer me!" she tried again, this time addressing the one driving her carriage. "Stop! Stop this carriage! Please, stop!"_

* * *

"How disappointifying! Just when I was starting to have fun," Morrible commented, looking down at Fiyero who was lying on the floor. Using her magic, she turned him around so he was lying on his back. Getting no response, she sighed. "Ah! Well, not my loss. Now I can get my hands on that witch!"

With a smirk, Morrible turned and walked towards the ladies Fiyero was trying to protect.


	35. 33

**A quick update, as requested by The Wizard of Wicked ;)**

**And we're down to third to the last chapter. Many thanks to those who have been reading this story!**

* * *

Elphaba focused on casting her modified healing spell on her freezing friend while Dorothy watched helplessly. Toto, being an ever-loyal guard dog hopped of from its master's arms and barked at the approaching figure. Goosebumps grew on Dorothy's arms when the figure passed by.

Morrible ignoring her provided little relief to the girl who sat still in fear. The old sorcerer walked on towards her two former students.

"My, my. I never imagined this reunion. Makes you want to go back to your young and carefree days in Shiz, huh?" said Morrible. "It breaks my heart to imagine how all of this will end."

Elphaba laughed mirthlessly. "Please. Don't make me laugh. You wanted this."

The former professor mocked hurt. "Oh, don't say that, Miss Elphaba! All I wanted is what's bestest for my students."

"And for them to become slaves to the Wizard," continued Elphaba. "No, not even the Wizard. You're behind all of this, aren't you?"

Morrible clapped her hands. "As expected from the star student of Shiz University. Oh, you could've easily topped your class if you graduated together with them!"

The green witch poured some more energy onto her healing spell, leaving a protective barrier around Glinda. She dusted her hands and braced herself for battle.

"No need to be so rash, dear. I can give you another chance…" Morrible tried to calm her down.

The former student summoned a fireball on her hands. "I don't need it! I will never be like you or the Wizard!"

"You leave me no choice, then."

A ball of energy appeared at the tip of Morrible's wand. Elphaba stood defensively between her companions and her opponent.

As the battle between two powerful mages proceeded, Dorothy helplessly watched the fight and Glinda alternately. As she looked around the room, she eventually found Fiyero lying unconsciously on the floor. While cautiously avoiding offshoots of magic, Dorothy and Toto crawled their way to him and tried to wake him up.

Although Elphaba's fire spells melted the ice, the melted ice extinguished her flames quickly enough to prevent her from forming walls of fire. She did not have much practice yet with lightning, so she was unable to fully take advantage of that skill. All she could do was use telekinesis and her levitation spell for evasion. She could not even power up her fire spells because she left some of her energy to protect and heal Glinda. Deep inside, she felt frustrated that reading and studying the Grimmerie for less than a month did little to improve her magical combat skills.

Morrible, on the other hand, had ice powers, which she did not seem to have five years ago.

After evading the small avalanche Morrible summoned, Elphaba sat down behind a stone structure, gathered herself and tried to form a plan.

"Feels like déjà vu, doesn't it?" Morrible chuckled. Elphaba, despite her lack of energy and plans, defiantly glared at the old sorcerer. "You see, five years may have passed, but you're still the same naïve little girl back then. Meanwhile, other people have changed. Even Fiyero has become stronger and quicker. Glinda, though quite unexpectedly, has become more powerful, herself. Ugh! I am disgustified to admit that but I cannot deny it." At her will, ice claws grew on Morrible's fingers.

"Those ice powers. They're from Glinda," Elphaba observed.

"Close, but not exactly, dearie. I'm only using her life force, just like what I did with you," the old sorcerer answered. "You see, in my last years as a professor in Shiz, I taught myself some ice spells. But I didn't have enough life force for it. I have been old, anyway. I needed the beryllite to prevent the weather in Oz from getting too warm. I only do what I should do for the welfare of Oz."

Elphaba laughed sarcastically. "So your idea of keeping Oz cool was to cover it with snow? Without even protecting the people of Munchkinland and Quadling. Now I see how much you really care about the people!"

"Enough!" Morrible's ice claws elongated towards Elphaba, effectively pinning her onto the wall. "I have given you so many chances. You've got so much potential, Elphaba, but you leave me no choice."

Not giving the young witch to utter her last words, Morrible raised her wand with her other hand and summoned a huge lightning bolt. Unable to evade the old sorceress' powerful spell, Elphaba closed her eyes in anticipation for the piercing lightning that descended from the sky.

* * *

"_Stop!" Glinda tried for the nth time. "Oz, stop this car at once!"_

_Convinced that the driver would not listen, she tried to jump off the carriage. Immediately, her escorts tried to stop her._

"_Can't you see that the Tower of Magic is collapsifying? If you can't let go of me, then at least help me go there!"_

_They did not seem to understand her because they simply brought her back to her seat._

"_Oh for goodness' sake!"_

_Her escorts were taken aback when Glinda raised her scepter and summoned a giant bubble._

* * *

Elphaba opened her eyes disbelievingly and looked around. The ice claws that once pinned her were broken and some of its pieces have melted. Smoke came out of the small flames most likely induced by the huge lightning bolt Morrible summoned not many clock ticks ago.

She knew she was supposed to feel relieved to survive the attack, but not if it meant hurt for someone else. Shock and horror filled her emotions upon seeing Fiyero standing between her and Morrible. His torn clothes revealed a fresh burn that ran from his jaw, down to his neck and chest.

"No," was all she could say once it registered to her that Fiyero saved her life by absorbing Morrible's attack.

Elphaba hurriedly caught him before he completely fell down. He fell heavily on her shoulders and sighed.

"Fae…"

"Please save your strength, Fiyero," Elphaba interjected as she laid him on the ground. "I won't let you die. I won't…" Subtly, she wiped her tears with her sleeves before laying her hands on his wound.

Fiyero smiled at her weakly, although she did not look at him. On the other hand, she tried not to look at his face, too afraid she might cry and lose her concentration on the healing spell.

Elphaba gasped when she felt something cold on her legs. Her eyes widened as she watched ice crystals slowly cover her lower body.

"No!" Fiyero rose up quickly and held her protectively upon seeing Morrible behind her back.

"It is rather unfortunate that it is only I who will come out of this tower alive," said Morrible. "Elphaba, I would have saved your life, too, if you hadn't caused this much trouble. Anyway, even if I don't get your life force, I'd still be the most powerful sorceress in Oz. No one can stop me!"

The old sorcerer covered her wand in ice, converting it into an ice dagger, and used it to strike Elphaba's back. Just when the ice dagger was about to touch green skin, it shattered. The ice that surrounded Elphaba stopped growing and started to crack.

"What in Oz…?" Morrible gasped in horror because of, aside from her broken wand, her now wrinkled hands.

Once the sounds of cracking ice died down, Dorothy and Toto peeked from their hiding place behind the table where Glinda laid. The two noticed immediately that the table now held nothing.

To answer the old sorcerer's unfinished question, she found Glinda walking towards her.

Of course, Glinda noticed Elphaba and Fiyero but she chose to let them concentrate on healing. After all, she thought, it was most likely for her sake that her friends had been tired and injured.

Upon seeing Morrible's appearance, she gasped. "You look… old. What happened to you?" she asked.

Pre-occupied by her own thoughts, Morrible seemed to have ignored the blonde's query. "G- Glinda, dear, th- there's… there seems to be a little miss- misunderstanding around here. Th- those fiends…!" She pointed at Elphaba and Fiyero. "They worked together to steal the beryllite!"

"No!" Dorothy protested. "Miss Glinda, she's lying! Fiyero found Elphaba in the Quid... Quadloo... um… in the power plant. She was the beryllite!"

Glinda internally recalled the reports she have received regarding the power plant and compared it with Dorothy's narrative.

"Shut up, child!" Morrible shouted angrily. "I told you to keep your nose off adults' business! And besides, you are one of them, aren't you? Do you know what punishment awaits those who…" Morrible stopped mid-sentence when Glinda raised her scepter, keeping in mind that her magic had been disabled due to the broken wand.

"Miss Glinda, please, listen," Dorothy tried again. "Fiyero didn't do anything wrong. He only saved Elphaba. He lo…"

The girl was unable to finish her sentence when she felt the floor they were standing on shake. They heard a loud cracking sound and, before they knew it, the floor gave in and fell. The Tower of Magic collapsed.


	36. 34

**Thank you, James Birdsong!**

**woodland59, I didn't realize I left everyone hanging literally. LOL.**

**The Wizard of Wicked, now I feel so bad right now for following it up with a delayed post!**

**Again, thank you very much to everyone reading this fanfic (and this last author's note)! I shall be posting the chapter after this shortly :) **

* * *

The sun had almost completely risen above the snowy horizon.

Once almost all of the mind-controlled guards were rendered unconscious, Boq and Brrr dashed their way towards the entrance to the Tower of Magic. But before they could even set foot in the building, they heard the sound of shaking and cracking. With their jaws dropped, they watched the tower tremble. Boq was taken out of his trance when a brick almost fell on his feet. He had to pull the Lion, who was frozen in terror, so they could run off to safety.

The duo waited for the smoke and dust to subside. They sighed in relief upon seeing some giant bubbles descending from the sky.

"Dorothy!" Brrr called her as they approached the pile of rubble that was formerly the Tower of Magic. "Oh am I so glad to see you!"

Dorothy, with Toto in her arms, hopped off from the rubble and Boq caught her. "Me too!" she replied, giving both Brrr and Boq each a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

Boq looked back at the ruins and found a sorceress whose beautiful face stood out despite her dirty clothes and messy hair.

"Well, it's good to be awake again. I guess," said Glinda.

"It is, isn't it," Boq replied awkwardly. He extended a hand to help Glinda go down.

While the friends reunited happily, Glinda saw from the corner of her eye her long-lost friends, Fiyero and Elphaba. She was about to approach them when she heard the steps of foot soldiers and horses.

"There she is! Get her!"

Two soldiers dressed in purple uniforms heeded the command and each held an arm of an old woman from the rubble. Glinda almost did not recognize Morrible's face because she looked so much older than she was a while ago.

Across the palace courtyard, she also saw soldiers, some in blue uniforms and some in yellow, gathering in front of the Emerald Palace and coordinating with some members of the Gale Force.

Later, a carriage with the Vinkun emblem arrived. Out of it came the Vinkun minister, Alfr, who bowed down respectfully to Glinda. "Greetings and well-wishes from His Majesty Njord Tiggular, King of Vinkus, whose promise of being a helping hand to Lady Glinda the Good in times of trouble and need he shall keep!" He flashed an insignia of the Vinkun king. "I come here as his highness' representative."

Glinda was about to open her mouth to reply but no words came out. Confusion was written all over her face.

"I um… Let me explain, your Goodness," Alfr offered. She nodded. "As you are most probably aware of, the Vinkun king has been requesting for the official documents regarding beryllite. Alongside this, our team had performed its own investigations regarding the said substance."

"And the others?" Glinda asked, referring to the troops coming from the other Ozian countries.

"Ah, yes. Governor Nessarose Thropp of Munchkinland formed her own investigative team as well," he answered. "We were both unable to communicate with the Wizard or any of his viziers, so we sought help from Gilikins, instead."

Glinda tapped her chin in thought. "So, what did you find out?"

Alfr narrated the results of their investigations. He explained how they gathered testimonial evidence from the power plant workers and material evidence from the site. They also came across some forged documents regarding the beryllite, giving no concrete evidence for supporting the existence of such substance. Key officials of the power plant admitted that the documents for the substance was never released nor made. Only a few of them knew that beryllite was actually a human.

"I apologize, your Goodness. Our primary purpose for coming here at this uneventful hour was to arrest the offenders involved in this mayhem," he continued. "The Wizard has not been responding to our reports, but the Munchkin, Gilikin and Vinkun leaders have agreed to not hold justice back. But since you are here, we respectfully ask for your wise counsel…"

Glinda raised her hand. "Can I ask the Vinkun king's help once more?" she interjected.

"Um. Yes. Of course," Alfr replied. "The king honors his promises."

"Tell him to take the lead in all investigations on the beryllite. And everything that must be done after we lost it."

"Good as done." The young minister bowed in acknowledgement before returning to his men.

Glinda sighed in relief after that conversation. Although she did sleep a lot recently, she felt so tired after all the commotion in the Tower of Magic. And she badly needed a bath - she was still wearing her clothes since her trip to Vinkus.

Suddenly, she remembered her old friends. She went around the rubble only to be met by a scene she did not know how to describe – some Vinkun soldiers seemed to be taking Fiyero, who was laid on a stretcher, away from Elphaba. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized he was not just going to be brought to safety. _Oh, Oz! They're arresting him!_

Alfr approached the green lady. "Elphaba, I'm sorry…"

"Alfr, please give us a little more time," she begged. "An hour. A minute. Anything. At least let me heal his wounds."

"His wounds will be dealt with by our nurses, Miss," A Vinkun officer informed her. "No need to..."

"Okay, then," Alfr interrupted. "Just a few minutes. The king expects us soon." The minister asked the soldiers to lower Fiyero's stretcher gently on the ground and give him and Elphaba some space.

Wasting no time, Elphaba laid her hands onto his chest and concentrated some energy on her hands. Fiyero instantly felt warm and light, listening to her incantation that, in her beautiful but sad voice, sounded like a song. The scratches and light cuts almost instantly healed, while the deeper ones gradually closed. The long red streak, which was a combination of open wounds and burns that ran from his cheek down to his chest, seemed to take forever to heal.

"I'll go with you," Elphaba told him in a determined voice. "I'm sure Alfr would be okay with that."

"I'd love that, Fae," Fiyero responded weakly. "But Glinda needs you here. Oz needs you."

"And you're injured, all because of me. Fiyero, I can't just…"

"You don't have to worry about me. I'll be taken care of in Vinkus." He placed a hand over hers. "And you don't have to blame yourself for this. I did what I thought I must."

"Ugh! Why do you keep missing my point? You'll be in prison, Fiyero!"

"If that's what it takes to keep you from harm, Elphaba, I'd willingly do it again."

"Stop…"

"Others may call us savages but prisoners are actually treated as humans in Vinkus. If that gives you any relief," he half lied – he only vaguely heard that from his father, but he did not really know if it were true. "Besides, whatever torture they give me, I deserve it."

She sulked. "All of these happened because you saved me. How do you expect me to just accept it?"

The healing light from Elphaba's hands suddenly faded. She felt as if her energy had completely been drained.

"Elphaba!" Fiyero sat up and grabbed her shoulders before she fell. "Are you okay?"

"We will see each other again, won't we?" she asked weakly but hopefully.

Fiyero smiled and looked at her intently. "We are going to be together. Always."

Time passed too quickly to their liking. Elphaba remained motionless as soldiers gathered the stretcher and helped Fiyero stand up and walk towards the carriage. Alfr pulled Elphaba to help her stand up.

"I'm sorry, Elphaba. This is all we can do to keep anyone from sending him to the Southstairs," Alfr explained. "Please don't get mad at King Njord. He only means well. If it would mean any help, you can blame me..."

"No, Alfr. I'm not mad at anyone," she interrupted. "I completely…" She sniffed. "…Understand."

"You can come with us, if you want," he offered gently, but Elphaba heavy-heartedly shook her head. "Alright. Should you ever think of coming back home to Vinkus, we would gladly welcome you."

Her reply was only a weak smile and a silent thanks. He gave her arms a brotherly squeeze before leaving.

She tried not to watch the Vinkun carriage as it went farther and farther until it disappeared in her line of sight.

"Oh Elphie…"

Elphaba's head shot up only to find her teary-eyed best friend.

"Glinda! What's wrong?"

The two walked towards each other and embraced.

"I saw it all. I heard everything." Glinda sniffed. "Elphie, why did you not go with him?" She placed a delicate hand on her forehead. "It's like a parting scene in those romantific movies… It's even more heartbreakifying in real life. Oh!" She broke into sobs.

Elphaba pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "This is absurd. Glin, we have more pressing matters to attend to." She pointed towards the ruins left by the collapsed Tower of Magic.

"But… but Fiyero is…"

"He'll be alright," Elphaba said with authority in her voice that took Glinda aback. "The best we could do for him is to make good wherever we are."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot from the Emerald Palace.

"What's going on?" Glinda asked no one in particular.

On cue, a group of flying Monkeys landed in front of the two ladies.

"Your Goodness, some rebels are attacking the palace," said Chistery.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Brrr suddenly said. Glinda, Elphaba, Dorothy and Boq looked at him, not failing to notice his newfound bravery.

Glinda nodded knowingly. She raised her scepter and summoned giant bubbles while Elphaba stepped onto a plank, which she charmed with a levitation spell. The team flew towards the palace.

On their way, Glinda gave a few glances at Elphaba, particularly at the thing she was riding on. Elphaba noticed her eventually and frowned. "What?"

"It looks ugly," the blonde commented frankly.

The green witch merely shrugged. "Well we can't all come and go by bubble!" They laughed.

"Um. Elphie?"

"Yes?"

"Won't you miss him even a bit?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous." Glinda tried to discern her friend's expression but she was looking away. Softly, the green lady said "I miss him already."


	37. 35

The combined forces of Munchkin, Gilikin and Emerald City were eventually able to contain the bandits who took advantage of the chaos in the palace complex. Apparently, they snuck into the palace while most of the Gale Force members were hypnotized by Morrible to guard the Tower of Magic.

In the throne room, they came across a peculiar old man with a chair tied to him.

"Ow! Let me go!" the old man protested. "Let me go at once! Don't you know who I am?"

"No, sir. I'm afraid we don't know you," the Gale Force officer that held one of the old man's arms answered. "That is why we have to bring you out of here and investigate."

"And on what grounds are you filing a case against me? Huh?" the man challenged.

"For intruding his Ozness, the Great and the Terrible," another officer who held his other arm replied. "You are lucky his Ozness is resting soundly. Who knows what powerful magic he might cast on you if he catches you here?"

They all fell silent when they heard a loud yawn. Their eyes widened as they watched the Ozhead open its eyes sleepily.

The old man's jaw dropped. "Th- this can't be…"

"Who dares to interrupt my sleep?" the Ozhead roared angrily. "You know how I've been workifying myself all day long. Now I lose my precious minutes of sleep!"

"W- we're sorry for the disrespectations, sir," the captain of the guards replied, bowing respectfully. "There has been an intruder in the throne room. But his Ozness need not worry for we have restrictified him." Two guards brought the old man in front of the Ozhead.

The Ozhead narrowed its eyes on the man, who felt naked under the scrutiny of the one he once used as his Wizard mask.

"Oh… well… um…" The Ozhead's brows met, giving it a contemplative expression. "I shall… um… summon Glinda the Good!"

On cue, Glinda, in her giant bubble, descended onto the space between the Ozhead and the guards.

The old man wore a hopeful expression upon remembering the lady. "Glinda! Glinda, please help me, I'm…"

"Silence!" The captain chastised the old man. "Show some respect to Miss Glinda!"

"Glinda!"

She turned to heed the Ozhead's call.

"Even Wizards like me grow old and more easily tired," said the Ozhead. "I'm afraid the time has come for me to retire."

The guards and Glinda gasped. The old man opened his mouth to speak but no words came out of it.

"At the same time, I must choose a worthy successor," he continued. "Someone I can entrust Oz to. Someone who will put the needs of Oz before his or her own. It truly is a grueling task, but, if he or she does it well, he or she will surely be highly praised by all of Oz."

Glinda's mind wandered to the events in the same room five years ago. She remembered a bright-eyed Elphaba, who poured her heart out in her studies and magic. Watching her cast the spell from the Grimmerie would have been inspiring if not for its consequences. _It should have been you, Elphie._

"Are you still with me, Glinda?"

Suddenly taken from her reverie, she almost jumped in surprise. "Y- yes, your Ozness."

"I have chosen you to take over the throne," it declared. "Use your powers wisely, dear child." The Ozhead summoned a thick magic book.

"The Grimmerie!" Glinda exclaimed as the book landed on her hands. She looked intently at the Ozhead's eyes, hoping to communicate her panic. "Elph- your Ozness, you know I can't read that!"

"Well, then, you'll have to learn," the Ozhead replied. Glinda swore she almost heard it in Elphaba's voice. "Now it's up to you."

Smoke slowly covered the humongous structure. Later, the smoke faded away, along with the Ozhead.

The captain of the guards stepped forward and saluted the new ruler of Oz. "We, the Gale Force, are ready to submit to your directivations, your Goodness." The rest of the guards also raised their hands to their heads to salute.

For a second, Glinda swallowed her fears and anxiety, just like she usually does before speaking to the public.

"Um. Prepare for rain. And snow," she said tentatively.

"Y- yes, ma'am," the captain answered in behalf of his subordinates.

"Send relief to the hungry and homeless, especially in Quadling," she continued. "Help repair the damaged buildings and houses. Evacuate them, if needed."

"H- how about him?" a guard asked, pointing to the old man. Immediately, he covered his mouth in embarrassment, realizing how he acted disrespectfully by interrupting her.

But Glinda simply waved him off. "I shall deal with him. Your attention is much more needed out there. Please go, help the people in need. Now!"

It did not take long for the guards to empty the throne room of themselves.

"Well, that went smoothly." Boq commented as he and Brrr emerged from the shadows. "Good job, guys!" he told Chistery and the flying Monkeys who helped them move the Ozhead from its throne.

"And it was fun!" Dorothy happily added as she and Elphaba appeared from the back of the Ozhead, which was then hidden behind huge curtains. "Now I know how it feels to be the Wizard of Oz!" They all laughed.

While the others were talking, laughing and celebrating their successful stunt, Glinda glanced at the old man, who was trying to approach Elphaba.

"Elphaba…"

"We have nothing to talk about. You have nothing left to do with me."

"No, it's not…"

"Look. Glinda is the new ruler of Oz. Whatever happens to you depends on her decision. I can't do anything about it."

Clearly noticing that her friend's discomfort, Glinda intervened. "Oscar!"

The old man's head shot up upon hearing his real name. "Yes, your Goodness?"

"I want you to leave Oz."

Oscar flinched.

"Bring Dorothy to her home in Kansas safely," Glinda commanded. Oscar immediately recognized the name of the place and nodded. "You'd better go get your balloon ready."

* * *

A hot-air balloon stood in the middle of the palace courtyard. Oscar yanked the strings that released fuel for the fire, heating the air inside the newly repaired giant gasbag. The aircraft was almost ready for take-off.

Boq, Brrr, Elphaba and Glinda gathered in the courtyard to see Dorothy off – and to make sure Oscar will not do anything suspicious.

"You're welcome to visit us again in the future," Boq told Dorothy before she left. "If ever you find a more convenient way to do so, of course."

"I will, Boq," she replied while they hugged.

"Oh, dear child, what do I do without you?" Brrr dramatically asked her. His eyes were brimming with tears.

Dorothy hugged the Lion. "Don't be silly, Brrr! You're a brave Lion. You can do anything!"

"Y- you really think so?"

"I know so!"

While she was chatting with Boq and Brr, Dorothy felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked behind her and saw Elphaba and Glinda.

"Can you give us a second?" Elphaba asked.

"Yes, of course," the girl replied.

"I charmed these with a fire spell." Elphaba placed two pieces of ruby on Dorothy's hand. "In case you run out of fuel, you can use them to summon fire." She continued in a whisper "and in case you need to defend yourself against that old man or anything…"

"Elphie! You need to loosify a little and stop being doubtfulous, you know?" Glinda interjected. "Here, Dorothy, let me help you with those." She decorated the girl's enchanted shoes with the fire rubies. "Perfect!"

"It's beautiful, Miss Glinda! Thank you!" The girls embraced.

"I wish Fiyero were here with us, too," Dorothy said to no one in particular. "You'll see him again, won't you?" she asked the two ladies in general, but she was facing towards the green lady.

"I- I hope so," was all Elphaba could say. Glinda tried but failed to find Elphaba's facial expression.

"Send him my thanks, okay?" the girl requested hopefully. Elphaba could not help but say yes. "Thank you for always protecting me, Elphaba."

Lastly, Dorothy said her many thanks to Glinda.

"You take good care of yourself, okay? And say hi to your aunt and uncle for us," the good sorceress requested. "Oh, I will miss you, Dorothy!" She enclosed the girl in a warm hug.

"I'll miss you, too!"

Riding on the basket that hung from the giant balloon, Dorothy waved at her Ozian friends as their aircraft ascended.

Oscar's eyes sought Elphaba, who, he thought, gave him a short glance but quickly looked away.

* * *

Later that day, the band of Ozian heroes found little time to rest and went right back to action. There was much to do in Oz, after all. Aside from the huge damage caused by the five-year winter on Munchkin and Quadling countries, Emerald City had its own problems, too, particularly in the transition of power and division of tasks among its leaders.

Boq eventually returned to Munchkinland to return to his work and help Nessa and his fellow Munchkins.

Oz's road to recovery was not a smooth one. As an appointed leader, Glinda had to prove herself especially to her critics. It took some time for her new viziers to trust her adviser, Elphaba. Above all, they all had to deal with the crazy weather patterns, which took forever to stabilize. Nonetheless, Oz got by, slowly inching its way to stability, prosperity, peace and unity.

After the end of a meeting with viziers, Glinda and Elphaba were left in the boardroom. Abandoning her prim and proper posture, Glinda's shoulders slumped as she breathed out a sigh. "Elphie?"

"Hmm?" Elphaba, who was browsing the proceedings of their recently concluded meeting, looked at her friend.

"Those words from the Ozhead before Dorothy left, I almost heard them in your voice."

"Really?" Elphaba's eyebrow rose. "It really was her. I can't deliver speeches and create special effects at the same time. At least she had fun, becoming Wizard for the day." They chuckled.

"But you wrote that script, didn't you?" Glinda's arms were crossed.

"Script?" Elphaba laughed. "I wish we had one. We almost lost it when Dorothy stuttered at that part where I asked her to summon you."

Glinda became silent. Elphaba tried to discern her expression.

"Well, yes, most of it came from me. I told Dorothy what she had to say," Elphaba continued, trying to get some sort of reaction from her friend.

"But Elphiiiieeee!" Elphaba almost covered her ears at the shrill sound of prolonged vowel at the end of her nickname. "Did I really have to be chosen as the new ruler of Oz? That was really over-the-top!"

"Over-the-top? Glin, isn't that your specialty?"

"Elphie, I'm serious!" Glinda dramatically placed a dainty hand on her chest. "What if people don't like me?"

Elphaba snorted. "Everyone likes you, Glin. And you love everyone. You do things well for the sake of the people you love. That's exactly why you're fit to become Oz's leader."

"But I'm not a Wizard, Elphie! Haven't you read the papers? They hate me! Oh! And if you could only see me when I practice my magic. I suck at sorcery!" She sulked. "I didn't even know what came to me when I sent that essay before I got to Shiz." She buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

"Neither is that old man we once called Wizard," Elphaba retorted. "Those journalists? Well, you've been proving them wrong. Yes, I read the papers everyday." She picked the day's newspaper and pointed to a particular article. "See that? They're beginning to see your efforts, Glin."

Glinda pouted, still not convinced.

"Look, if winning against Morrible in a battle of magic is your definition of bad at sorcery, sure, I'll believe you."

The blonde sorcerer was about to open her mouth but no words came out.

"You'll be fine, Glinda. Besides, it doesn't mean you're the only one who will do all the work. You have comrades from all over Oz. Haven't you been listening to them in our meeting earlier? And you have friends. You have me. We'll all help."

They smiled at each other warmly. Seeing Elphaba's positively emerald face seemed to have washed the five years' worth of weariness Glinda had. With best friend by her side, she felt as if no one can bring her down.

* * *

As the snow from the five-year winter melted, two best friends watched the first few snowflakes of the season fall onto Emerald City in anticipation for Lurlinemas.

END


End file.
